huffpost--2020-06-22--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

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 . )
Concerns Over 10,000 Low-Cost Ventilators Ordered By Indian Government — 6/24/20 , 5:40 a.m .
ET Concerns have been raised about 10,000 low-cost ventilators Narendra Modi ’ s government ordered as part of India ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
An exclusive report by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have flagged issues with the reliability and capability of the machines , which were ordered as part of a plan to procure 50,000 ventilators for hospitals to cope with an anticipated surge of patients .
According to official documents , doctors warned the machines “ should not be considered as a replacement for high-end ventilators ” in ICUs , while experts claimed they should only be used when a backup ventilator was available .
Amid a global shortage of ventilators , Indian companies were invited to bid for contracts on the condition that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government would accept the devices only after they were approved by an expert panel .
Doctors , however , have flagged serious concerns with the ventilators .
In one example , five of eight of the ventilators installed at a hospital in Meerut , in the state of Uttar Pradesh , stopped working , according to internal company chats reviewed by HuffPost India .
AgVa , the manufacturer of the ventilators , said their devices are working perfectly and blamed misuse by hospital staff for any issues .
India , which is on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most affected country by cases , has reported 14,011 deaths from COVID-19 and 440,215 cases .
Health Leaders Warn UK Must Start Preparing For Second COVID-19 Wave — 6/24/20 , 5:35 a.m .
ET Health leaders are calling for an urgent review to ensure Britain is properly prepared for the “ real risk ” of a second wave of coronavirus .
Ministers have been warned that urgent action is needed to prevent further loss of life and to protect the economy amid growing fears of a renewed outbreak over the winter .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Royal Colleges of Physicians , Surgeons , GPs and Nursing , as well as the chairman of the British Medical Association .
It comes after U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday the biggest easing to date of the coronavirus lockdown in England .
Johnson said the 2-meter social-distancing rule would be replaced with a “ 1-meter plus ” rule that paves the way for pubs , restaurants , hotels and cinemas to begin reopening July 4 .
In an open letter to the leaders of all the U.K. political parties published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health leaders warn : “ While the future shape of the pandemic in the UK is hard to predict , the available evidence indicates that local flare-ups are increasingly likely and a second wave a real risk.
” “ The job now is not only to deal urgently with the wide-ranging impacts of the first phase of the pandemic , but to ensure that the country is adequately prepared to contain a second phase.
” Texas Reports More Than 5,000 New Coronavirus Cases In 24-Hour Period — 6/23/2020 , 8:30 p.m .
ET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay home and wear face masks outside after the state reported more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period on Tuesday , an all-time high as officials work to contain an ongoing surge in infections .
“ Because the spread is so rapid right now , there ’ s never a reason for you to leave your home , unless you do need to go out , ” Abbott told KBTX News .
Texas is one of several states reporting record-high rates of infections and hospitalizations as regions across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier this week , Abbott said the virus was spreading at an “ unacceptable rate ” and warned he was considering rolling back some reopening measures , although he said that was “ the last thing ” he wanted to do .
The governor also gave local officials more power to limit large gatherings , which have been linked to outbreak clusters around the nation .
“ I urge all Texans to do everything in their power to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus by wearing a face mask , washing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from others , ” Abbott said in a statement Tuesday .
California Reaches Record High COVID-19 Hospitalizations For Third Consecutive Day — 6/23/2020 , 6:55 p.m .
ET There were 3,868 people hospitalized with the coronavirus across California on Tuesday , according to state data analyzed by the San Francisco Chronicle .
The figure represents a record high for the state for the third day in a row .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has been steadily climbing in California in recent weeks , with an average of over 4,000 new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Los Angeles Times .
About 42 % of new cases in the past two weeks have been in Los Angeles County — far higher than its share of the state population .
Though most regions in the state have been easing restrictions around activities and businesses in recent weeks , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) implemented a statewide mandate to wear masks .
Newsom also said Monday that he ’ s prepared to shut down parts of the economy again if there ’ s a dangerous surge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Testing Isn ’ t Slowing Down — 6/23/2020 , 1:45 p.m .
ET Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that the United States will continue to increase coronavirus testing , contradicting President Donald Trump ’ s claims that he was scaling it back .
“ I know for sure that , to my knowledge , none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing , ” Fauci said during a House hearing .
His remarks follow Trump ’ s statements that he had instructed authorities to slow down COVID-19 testing programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said “ testing is a double-edged sword ” because it makes the outbreak seem worse than it is .
“ So I said to my people , ” Trump said , “ slow the testing down please.
” Fauci Says Next 2 Weeks Are ‘ Critical ’ To Addressing Surges — 6/23/2020 , 1:25 p.m .
ET Dr. Anthony Fauci said during his testimony Tuesday that the coming weeks will be crucial for slowing COVID-19 surges around the country .
“ The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are seeing in Florida , Texas , Arizona and other states , ” he said .
Those states , among others , followed an aggressive reopening schedule .
Now , they ’ re backtracking or implementing new rules .
In the absence of a statewide mandate , several mayors in Miami-Dade County in Florida are implementing their own mask requirements .
In Texas , authorities have temporarily suspended the alcohol permits of 12 bars that violated safety protocols .
Fauci Says He ’ s ‘ Cautiously Optimistic ’ About Making A Vaccine Available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 11:42 a.m .
ET Dr. Anthony Fauci , the infectious diseases expert leading the United States ’ response to COVID-19 , told congressional leaders that he is “ cautiously optimistic ” about the prospects of making a vaccine available to the public “ by the end of this calendar year.
” Public health officials and industry leaders are working around the clock to develop the vaccine , Fauci said at a House hearing on Tuesday .
Various vaccine trials are underway , with one set to enter Phase 3 of development in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In England To Reopen July 4 — 6/23/20 , 7 a.m .
ET U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce today that cinemas , museums and galleries in England can reopen their doors from July 4 .
But venues will have to operate under strict new coronavirus guidance , which is likely to include one-way systems , spaced queuing , increased ventilation and pre-booked tickets .
Downing Street sources say the prime minister will unveil the much-anticipated reopening date Tuesday after taking guidance from top experts on the COVID-19 committee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ warnings about Britain ’ s ailing arts and culture sector , with the lockdown severely hitting revenues .
Johnson is also expected to outline changes to the 2-meter social distancing rule in a statement to Parliament .
A cut in the distance — the World Health Organization recommends 1 meter — seen as crucial to kickstarting the economy , with many retail and office spaces otherwise having to remain shut .
Saudi Arabia Drastically Limits Hajj Pilgrimage Due To Virus Concerns — 6/23/20 , 6:45 a.m .
ET The hajj pilgrimage , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the world , will see “ thousands ” at the most this year due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus , a Saudi official said Tuesday .
“ The number , God willing , may be in the thousands .
We are in the process of reviewing so it could be 1,000 or less , or a little more , ” said Hajj Minister Muhammad Benten .
Only a limited number of people residing in the kingdom will be allowed to perform the pilgrimage , and they will be quarantined before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the age of 65 will be allowed to take part .
The kingdom ’ s decision was largely expected , but still a disappointment to Muslims who have waited and saved money for years to make the journey .
Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of infection in the Middle East , with more than 161,000 cases and 1,307 deaths Brazil Records 50,000 Deaths In Less Than 100 Days — 6/23/20 , 3:45 a.m .
ET Brazil reached more than 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 50,000 deaths over the weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Janeiro beaches .
HuffPost Brazil reports ( in Portuguese ) that the first confirmed death in the country occurred on March 17 , less than 100 days ago .
Half of the 50,000 deaths , however , have been confirmed in the past 25 days .
President Jair Bolsonaro criticized the disclosure of the death toll , but the World Health Organization said Monday that even more cases were likely going uncounted in Brazil .
Brazil ’ s health ministry said Monday that an additional 21,432 confirmed cases of the virus and 654 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous 24 hours .
A day earlier , swimmers and sunbathers packed Rio ’ s beaches , with many neither wearing masks nor respecting the WHO ’ s guidance to maintain 1 meter , or 3 feet , of distance between people .
The WHO is looking into a surge of more than 54,000 new coronavirus cases in Brazil in 24 hours , that was reported by the health ministry on Friday and is by far the most reported in the country in a single day , according to top WHO emergencies expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing Monday that testing levels were still low in Brazil with a high percentage of positive results .
“ That generally means there are probably more cases out there than reported , ” Ryan said .
California Will Reverse Reopening Plans If Cases Surge ― 6/22/20 , 5:30 p.m .
ET California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) said he ’ ll shut down parts of the economy again if there ’ s a dangerous surge in coronavirus cases .
“ We don ’ t intend to do that .
We don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I want to make this clear : We are prepared to do that , if we must , ” he said at a press conference , noting there ’ s been an uptick is COVID-19 hospitalizations .
The state has been following a slower , more science-backed reopening plan .
As businesses begin to reopen , California continues to introduce more protective measures , including a statewide mask mandate .
Cases of COVID-19 surged to new highs Monday , with a preponderance of cases cropping up in states where social distancing guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
A New York Times tracker of virus hotspots shows states across the Southeast seeing sharp spikes , as are Arizona , Oklahoma , Oregon and Texas .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) on Monday urged residents to wear masks while going about their daily business .
The state has set a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations for 10 days straight , with 8,300 new confirmed cases in the state on Friday and Saturday alone .
“ To state the obvious , COVID-19 is now spreading at an unacceptable rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our goal is to keep Texans out of hospitals and to reduce the number of Texans who test positive .
… COVID hasn ’ t simply gone away , ” he added .
“ We don ’ t have to choose between jobs and health .
We can have both.
” Florida also saw a record high over the weekend , with 4,049 confirmed cases Saturday .
The state has now seen more than 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases , according to NPR .
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not decreased safety precautions .
New York City Enters Phase 2 Of Reopening — 6/22/20 , 8 a.m. Once the epicenter of the pandemic , New York City begins its second phase of reopening Monday , as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to plummet and deaths have been in the single digits .
City officials say between 150,000 and 300,000 New Yorkers are expected to return to work in phase 2 , which includes reopening real estate services , some in-store retail , barber shops , salons , certain offices and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phase 1 , which included manufacturing , wholesale , construction , landscaping and curbside or contactless retail , began on June 8 , with about 400,000 workers going back to work .
One major obstacle leading up to phase 2 : many restaurants in New York City are too cramped to have enough space for outdoor dining .
After much criticism from city residents , Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that restaurants can use curbs and sidewalks for outdoor seating , and starting in July , restaurants will be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , city officials have shut down more and more streets to traffic as part of the city ’ s Open Streets program , designed to give pedestrians more walking space .
Virus Cases Near 9 Million Worldwide With Surges In India , U.S. — 6/22/20 , 6 a.m. Nearly 9 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus , according to figures from Johns Hopkins University , with a surge in cases in India ’ s rural villages as migrant workers leave major cities .
The World Health Organization reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases by its count , at more than 183,000 new cases in the latest 24 hours , according to The Associated Press .
In East Asia , there were signs of progress in the fight against the disease , with South Korea and China reporting falling numbers of cases .
No Mask Requirement For Trump ’ s Rally In Tulsa ― 6/19/20 , 5:15 p.m .
ET Attendees at President Donald Trump ’ s rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , this weekend won ’ t be required to wear masks or follow social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court rejected the requested requirements .
The request — made in part on behalf of two local residents who have compromised immune systems and are classified as more vulnerable to COVID-19 — was rejected on the grounds that the locals didn ’ t have a clear legal right to the relief they sought , according to the Associated Press .
Meanwhile , Trump warned that those who planned to protest at his rally would be punished , seemingly setting the stage for huge crowds and violent clashes outside the BOK Center .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand , you will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis , ” he tweeted .
“ It will be a much different scene !
” Tulsa ’ s mayor , G.T .
Bynum , declared a civil emergency and set a curfew in the area for Saturday night , but the curfew reportedly has been rescinded .
Why Is Federal Coronavirus Aid Being Funneled Away From Nursing Homes Amid Sweeping Outbreaks ?
― 6/19/20 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why the federal agency that regulates nursing homes has failed to distribute most of the money it received to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks at the facilities , NPR reports .
In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar , Sen. Patty Murray ( D-Wash. ) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro ( D-Conn. ) on Wednesday demanded to know why the agency hasn ’ t doled out the $ 200 million set aside for nursing homes as part of the CARES Act .
The lawmakers claim that only $ 1.5 million of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handful of agencies in different states so far .
They also asked why the agency only allocated $ 80 million to bolster oversight of nursing home response , $ 20 million less than Congress allowed .
“ Given the emergency , we do not understand why CMS opted for a slow , burdensome process – or why it took so long to decide on this business-as-usual approach – when it could have quickly released funding to states and territories in need by using an expedited process , ” the letter reads .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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.)
Concerns Over 10,000 Low-Cost Ventilators Ordered By Indian Government — 6/24/20, 5:40 a.m. ET
Concerns have been raised about 10,000 low-cost ventilators Narendra Modi’s government ordered as part of India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An exclusive report by HuffPost India reveals that two government-appointed committees have flagged issues with the reliability and capability of the machines, which were ordered as part of a plan to procure 50,000 ventilators for hospitals to cope with an anticipated surge of patients.
According to official documents, doctors warned the machines “should not be considered as a replacement for high-end ventilators” in ICUs, while experts claimed they should only be used when a backup ventilator was available.
Amid a global shortage of ventilators, Indian companies were invited to bid for contracts on the condition that once an order was placed, the government would accept the devices only after they were approved by an expert panel.
Doctors, however, have flagged serious concerns with the ventilators. In one example, five of eight of the ventilators installed at a hospital in Meerut, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, stopped working, according to internal company chats reviewed by HuffPost India.
AgVa, the manufacturer of the ventilators, said their devices are working perfectly and blamed misuse by hospital staff for any issues.
India, which is on track to overtake Russia as the third most affected country by cases, has reported 14,011 deaths from COVID-19 and 440,215 cases.
Read more here.
— Aman Sethi
Health Leaders Warn UK Must Start Preparing For Second COVID-19 Wave — 6/24/20, 5:35 a.m. ET
Health leaders are calling for an urgent review to ensure Britain is properly prepared for the “real risk” of a second wave of coronavirus. Ministers have been warned that urgent action is needed to prevent further loss of life and to protect the economy amid growing fears of a renewed outbreak over the winter.
The appeal is backed by the presidents of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Surgeons, GPs and Nursing, as well as the chairman of the British Medical Association.
It comes after U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday the biggest easing to date of the coronavirus lockdown in England. Johnson said the 2-meter social-distancing rule would be replaced with a “1-meter plus” rule that paves the way for pubs, restaurants, hotels and cinemas to begin reopening July 4.
In an open letter to the leaders of all the U.K. political parties published in the British Medical Journal, the health leaders warn: “While the future shape of the pandemic in the UK is hard to predict, the available evidence indicates that local flare-ups are increasingly likely and a second wave a real risk.”
“The job now is not only to deal urgently with the wide-ranging impacts of the first phase of the pandemic, but to ensure that the country is adequately prepared to contain a second phase.”
Read more here.
— Nadine White
Texas Reports More Than 5,000 New Coronavirus Cases In 24-Hour Period — 6/23/2020, 8:30 p.m. ET
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to stay home and wear face masks outside after the state reported more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period on Tuesday, an all-time high as officials work to contain an ongoing surge in infections.
“Because the spread is so rapid right now, there’s never a reason for you to leave your home, unless you do need to go out,” Abbott told KBTX News.
Texas is one of several states reporting record-high rates of infections and hospitalizations as regions across the country continue to allow businesses to reopen.
Earlier this week, Abbott said the virus was spreading at an “unacceptable rate” and warned he was considering rolling back some reopening measures, although he said that was “the last thing” he wanted to do.
The governor also gave local officials more power to limit large gatherings, which have been linked to outbreak clusters around the nation.
“I urge all Texans to do everything in their power to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus by wearing a face mask, washing their hands often and staying six feet apart from others,” Abbott said in a statement Tuesday.
— Nick Visser
California Reaches Record High COVID-19 Hospitalizations For Third Consecutive Day — 6/23/2020, 6:55 p.m. ET
There were 3,868 people hospitalized with the coronavirus across California on Tuesday, according to state data analyzed by the San Francisco Chronicle. The figure represents a record high for the state for the third day in a row.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has been steadily climbing in California in recent weeks, with an average of over 4,000 new cases per day in the past week, according to the Los Angeles Times. About 42% of new cases in the past two weeks have been in Los Angeles County — far higher than its share of the state population.
Though most regions in the state have been easing restrictions around activities and businesses in recent weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) implemented a statewide mandate to wear masks. Newsom also said Monday that he’s prepared to shut down parts of the economy again if there’s a dangerous surge in cases.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
Fauci Contradicts Trump, Says Testing Isn’t Slowing Down — 6/23/2020, 1:45 p.m. ET
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that the United States will continue to increase coronavirus testing, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claims that he was scaling it back.
“I know for sure that, to my knowledge, none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing,” Fauci said during a House hearing.
His remarks follow Trump’s statements that he had instructed authorities to slow down COVID-19 testing programs. At his rally last weekend, Trump said “testing is a double-edged sword” because it makes the outbreak seem worse than it is.
“So I said to my people,” Trump said, “slow the testing down please.”
— Lydia O’Connor
Fauci Says Next 2 Weeks Are ‘Critical’ To Addressing Surges — 6/23/2020, 1:25 p.m. ET
Dr. Anthony Fauci said during his testimony Tuesday that the coming weeks will be crucial for slowing COVID-19 surges around the country.
“The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges we are seeing in Florida, Texas, Arizona and other states,” he said.
Those states, among others, followed an aggressive reopening schedule. Now, they’re backtracking or implementing new rules. In the absence of a statewide mandate, several mayors in Miami-Dade County in Florida are implementing their own mask requirements. In Texas, authorities have temporarily suspended the alcohol permits of 12 bars that violated safety protocols.
— Lydia O’Connor
Fauci Says He’s ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Making A Vaccine Available By The End Of 2020 — 6/23/20, 11:42 a.m. ET
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious diseases expert leading the United States’ response to COVID-19, told congressional leaders that he is “cautiously optimistic” about the prospects of making a vaccine available to the public “by the end of this calendar year.”
Public health officials and industry leaders are working around the clock to develop the vaccine, Fauci said at a House hearing on Tuesday. Various vaccine trials are underway, with one set to enter Phase 3 of development in July.
— Marina Fang
Cinemas, Galleries And Museums In England To Reopen July 4 — 6/23/20, 7 a.m. ET
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce today that cinemas, museums and galleries in England can reopen their doors from July 4.
But venues will have to operate under strict new coronavirus guidance, which is likely to include one-way systems, spaced queuing, increased ventilation and pre-booked tickets. Downing Street sources say the prime minister will unveil the much-anticipated reopening date Tuesday after taking guidance from top experts on the COVID-19 committee.
It comes amid a series of stark warnings about Britain’s ailing arts and culture sector, with the lockdown severely hitting revenues. Johnson is also expected to outline changes to the 2-meter social distancing rule in a statement to Parliament. A cut in the distance — the World Health Organization recommends 1 meter — seen as crucial to kickstarting the economy, with many retail and office spaces otherwise having to remain shut.
— Rachel Wearmouth
Saudi Arabia Drastically Limits Hajj Pilgrimage Due To Virus Concerns — 6/23/20, 6:45 a.m. ET
The hajj pilgrimage, which usually draws millions of Muslims from all over the world, will see “thousands” at the most this year due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus, a Saudi official said Tuesday.
“The number, God willing, may be in the thousands. We are in the process of reviewing so it could be 1,000 or less, or a little more,” said Hajj Minister Muhammad Benten.
Only a limited number of people residing in the kingdom will be allowed to perform the pilgrimage, and they will be quarantined before and after participating. No one over the age of 65 will be allowed to take part.
The kingdom’s decision was largely expected, but still a disappointment to Muslims who have waited and saved money for years to make the journey.
Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of infection in the Middle East, with more than 161,000 cases and 1,307 deaths
— Liza Hearon
Brazil Records 50,000 Deaths In Less Than 100 Days — 6/23/20, 3:45 a.m. ET
Brazil reached more than 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 50,000 deaths over the weekend as throngs of people swarmed Rio de Janeiro beaches.
HuffPost Brazil reports (in Portuguese) that the first confirmed death in the country occurred on March 17, less than 100 days ago. Half of the 50,000 deaths, however, have been confirmed in the past 25 days.
President Jair Bolsonaro criticized the disclosure of the death toll, but the World Health Organization said Monday that even more cases were likely going uncounted in Brazil.
Brazil’s health ministry said Monday that an additional 21,432 confirmed cases of the virus and 654 new deaths had been registered in the previous 24 hours.
A day earlier, swimmers and sunbathers packed Rio’s beaches, with many neither wearing masks nor respecting the WHO’s guidance to maintain 1 meter, or 3 feet, of distance between people.
The WHO is looking into a surge of more than 54,000 new coronavirus cases in Brazil in 24 hours, that was reported by the health ministry on Friday and is by far the most reported in the country in a single day, according to top WHO emergencies expert Mike Ryan.
Ryan told an online briefing Monday that testing levels were still low in Brazil with a high percentage of positive results.
“That generally means there are probably more cases out there than reported,” Ryan said.
— Reuters and HuffPost Brazil
California Will Reverse Reopening Plans If Cases Surge ― 6/22/20, 5:30 p.m. ET
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he’ll shut down parts of the economy again if there’s a dangerous surge in coronavirus cases.
“We don’t intend to do that. We don’t want to do that. But I want to make this clear: We are prepared to do that, if we must,” he said at a press conference, noting there’s been an uptick is COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The state has been following a slower, more science-backed reopening plan. As businesses begin to reopen, California continues to introduce more protective measures, including a statewide mask mandate.
― Lydia O’Connor
COVID-19 Cases Surge As States Relax Guidelines, Reopen Businesses — 6/22/20, 4:20 p.m. ET
Cases of COVID-19 surged to new highs Monday, with a preponderance of cases cropping up in states where social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders were relaxed earlier than others.
A New York Times tracker of virus hotspots shows states across the Southeast seeing sharp spikes, as are Arizona, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Monday urged residents to wear masks while going about their daily business. The state has set a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations for 10 days straight, with 8,300 new confirmed cases in the state on Friday and Saturday alone.
“To state the obvious, COVID-19 is now spreading at an unacceptable rate in Texas,” Abbott said.
“Our goal is to keep Texans out of hospitals and to reduce the number of Texans who test positive. … COVID hasn’t simply gone away,” he added. “We don’t have to choose between jobs and health. We can have both.”
Florida also saw a record high over the weekend, with 4,049 confirmed cases Saturday. The state has now seen more than 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to NPR. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) blamed the rising numbers on increased testing — not decreased safety precautions.
— Ryan Grenoble
New York City Enters Phase 2 Of Reopening — 6/22/20, 8 a.m.
Once the epicenter of the pandemic, New York City begins its second phase of reopening Monday, as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to plummet and deaths have been in the single digits.
City officials say between 150,000 and 300,000 New Yorkers are expected to return to work in phase 2, which includes reopening real estate services, some in-store retail, barber shops, salons, certain offices and restaurants with sufficient outdoor dining space.
Phase 1, which included manufacturing, wholesale, construction, landscaping and curbside or contactless retail, began on June 8, with about 400,000 workers going back to work.
One major obstacle leading up to phase 2: many restaurants in New York City are too cramped to have enough space for outdoor dining. After much criticism from city residents, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that restaurants can use curbs and sidewalks for outdoor seating, and starting in July, restaurants will be allowed to use streets for outdoor seating.
Throughout the pandemic, city officials have shut down more and more streets to traffic as part of the city’s Open Streets program, designed to give pedestrians more walking space.
— Marina Fang
Virus Cases Near 9 Million Worldwide With Surges In India, U.S. — 6/22/20, 6 a.m.
Nearly 9 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University, with a surge in cases in India’s rural villages as migrant workers leave major cities.
The World Health Organization reported late Sunday the largest single-day increase in cases by its count, at more than 183,000 new cases in the latest 24 hours, according to The Associated Press.
In East Asia, there were signs of progress in the fight against the disease, with South Korea and China reporting falling numbers of cases.
— Liza Hearon
No Mask Requirement For Trump’s Rally In Tulsa ― 6/19/20, 5:15 p.m. ET
Attendees at President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this weekend won’t be required to wear masks or follow social distancing guidelines, after the state Supreme Court rejected the requested requirements.
The request — made in part on behalf of two local residents who have compromised immune systems and are classified as more vulnerable to COVID-19 — was rejected on the grounds that the locals didn’t have a clear legal right to the relief they sought, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Trump warned that those who planned to protest at his rally would be punished, seemingly setting the stage for huge crowds and violent clashes outside the BOK Center.
“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis,” he tweeted. “It will be a much different scene!”
Tulsa’s mayor, G.T. Bynum, declared a civil emergency and set a curfew in the area for Saturday night, but the curfew reportedly has been rescinded.
Read more.
— Andy Campbell
Why Is Federal Coronavirus Aid Being Funneled Away From Nursing Homes Amid Sweeping Outbreaks? ― 6/19/20, 12:15 p.m. ET
Lawmakers are asking why the federal agency that regulates nursing homes has failed to distribute most of the money it received to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks at the facilities, NPR reports.
In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Wednesday demanded to know why the agency hasn’t doled out the $200 million set aside for nursing homes as part of the CARES Act.
The lawmakers claim that only $1.5 million of the funds have been provided to a handful of agencies in different states so far. They also asked why the agency only allocated $80 million to bolster oversight of nursing home response, $20 million less than Congress allowed.
“Given the emergency, we do not understand why CMS opted for a slow, burdensome process – or why it took so long to decide on this business-as-usual approach – when it could have quickly released funding to states and territories in need by using an expedited process,” the letter reads.
— Andy Campbell
For more on the pandemic, go here.


huffpost--2020-06-22--The Inside Story Of How Arkansas Exploited COVID To Stop Abortions

Illustrations by Mikyung Lee for HuffPost
Above: When coronavirus came to Arkansas, Marsha Boss, a longtime abortion opponent and member of the board of health, got to work.
On the first day of April, Marsha Boss, a 68-year-old Catholic pharmacist, uploaded a photo to Facebook. Snapped on a sunny day, it showed the parking lot outside Little Rock Family Planning Services, one of two abortion clinics left in Arkansas. “We watched three cars from Texas come in, three from Tennessee and one from Alabama all coming to our great state to get an abortion,” she wrote in her post. “How sad is that?”
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In private, around the same time, Boss was extending her disapproval to state health officials. Over text messages and in phone calls, she complained that the clinic was violating social distancing guidelines, performing “25 to 30” abortions a day, and warned that out-of-town patients ― many of whom were fleeing abortion bans their states put in place after coronavirus hit ― might spread the infectious disease in Arkansas. She also said she saw someone carrying coveted surgical masks into the clinic, as well as beer.
“The abortion clinic think[s] they are above the laws and certainly above any rules but Now we have Covid 19,” she texted Laura Shue, general counsel of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). “I know you are busy Laura and I hate to bother you with all of this but I do think it’s so important.”
Long before coronavirus made its way to Arkansas, Boss was a vigilant observer of the Little Rock clinic, keeping close tabs on its activity. Since 2008, she had organized anti-abortion protests at the clinic, rallying church members to participate in 40 Days for Life campaigns as well as recruiting volunteers to pray outside its doors year-round. Unlike the radical evangelical protesters who carried grisly, blown-up photos of fetuses and called women murderers, her crew had a softer touch, favoring silent prayer and signs like “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Still, she often intercepted patients as they pulled into the driveway, handing them literature through their car window and imploring them to turn around, according to the clinic security guard, Guy Hooper, who spoke to HuffPost in a phone interview. Sometimes she’d wear a white lab coat or scrubs, Hooper said, perhaps a nod to her pharmacy degree. But since she was not an employee of the clinic, the uniform had the potential to confuse arriving patients. On her LinkedIn page, she describes her profession as an “Ongoing Prayer Warrior at God.”
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Arkansas is considered one of the most anti-abortion states in the U.S. Since 2012, when Republicans took control of the state legislature, it has enacted some of the strictest laws in the nation, a handful of which are currently being challenged in court. These days, women seeking abortions must overcome an ever-expanding list of obstacles, from a 72-hour waiting period to mandated counseling on the medically debunked concept of “abortion reversal.” For some, the hurdles are simply too high; 1 in 5 women seeking an abortion will leave the state to obtain it. In 2019, abortion dropped to its lowest level in Arkansas in 42 years.
Shuttering the Little Rock clinic has long been the holy grail of the local anti-abortion movement, as it is the only clinic in the state that provides “surgical abortions.” The term itself is a misnomer, as technically no incisions or general anesthesia are performed. “Surgical abortion” refers to all abortion procedures performed in an office, such as ones that involve suction to empty the uterus. The Little Rock clinic also provides abortion by pill, as does the other remaining clinic in the state. But the medication can only be taken up to the 10th week of pregnancy, so for women in Arkansas whose pregnancies have progressed further, the Little Rock clinic is their only in-state option.
Boss referred to the Little Rock clinic as “the gates of hell” in an interview with the Arkansas Catholic in 2015. “Really, those babies are being crucified there.” In the past, she sent documentation of the clinic’s alleged misdeeds to the Pro-Life Action League, a national anti-abortion organization, and used social media to bolster opposition to the clinic. “Another poor momma went to the hospital today via ambulance from LRFP Abortion Clinic around 2 pm,” she wrote on Facebook at the end of December. “ABORTION HURTS WOMEN!!!” It’s not clear what happened that day or why an ambulance was called ― abortion is one of the safest medical procedures in America ― but Boss’s alarmist post is a common tactic of abortion foes. The goal is to make abortion appear dangerous and unregulated.
Fear was her ammunition, and when the novel coronavirus hit Arkansas in March, Boss was ready to fire. She also had a tactical advantage. In 2018, Boss was appointed to the board of health by the Republican governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, a staunch supporter of the anti-abortion movement. The board sets all the rules and regulations for licensing health care providers, including abortion clinics. In addition, it has the power to take away licenses that allow clinics to perform abortions.
As a board member, Boss took part in quarterly meetings where she voiced her concerns about the state’s abortion facilities. The meetings were regularly attended by the top health officials in the state, including Health Secretary Nate Smith, who serves in the governor’s Cabinet. And so during the biggest health crisis in a century, Boss had a direct line to those in charge of the pandemic response.
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A little over a week after Boss posted about the parking lot at the Little Rock clinic, the facility would be forced to stop providing surgical abortions, setting off a catastrophe in reproductive health care in the state.
In the early months of the pandemic, many states took aggressive steps to contain the virus, ordering residents to stay home and shutting down what were deemed nonessential services. Ostensibly a series of public health calls, these measures were also acutely shaped by political pressure.
From March to May, governors in 12 states determined that abortion was not an essential health care procedure, triggering widespread confusion and some temporary clinic closures. To better understand how states came to decide whether abortion was an essential procedure, HuffPost narrowed in on one state, Arkansas, and reviewed hundreds of pages of internal communications from the state health department in April and May.
What emerged was a story of how a health department, under pressure by anti-abortion legislators and activists ― including a board of health member ― was weaponized in the war against abortion and used to justify the cessation of surgical abortions in the state.
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The documents we reviewed were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by attorneys for the Little Rock clinic. (HuffPost tried to request documents directly from the department of health but was denied because of out-of-state residence.) We spoke to six people associated with the Little Rock clinic, as well as experts in public health and abortion. Boss declined our request for an interview. So did the department of health, citing ongoing “litigation around this issue.” A spokesperson for Hutchinson noted that the directive used to halt surgical abortions had been litigated and upheld. “Surgical abortions were not entitled to a special exemption from the State’s directive,” a spokesperson for the attorney general, Leslie Rutledge, said in an email.
The consequences of the surgical abortion ban were incalculable. Scores of women had their abortion appointments canceled and had to travel out of state during the pandemic. And in a few known cases, women who wanted abortions were unable to get one before the legal cutoff and remain pregnant against their will today.
Marsha Boss sent many texts to the general counsel for the Arkansas Department of Health, Laura Shue, complaining about the Little Rock clinic. (This graphic is based on copies of the texts obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.) HuffPost U.S.
The first case of coronavirus in Arkansas was recorded on March 11. By the beginning of April, almost 600 people had tested positive. Hutchinson closed schools and gyms, banned on-site dining at restaurants and prohibited indoor social gatherings of more than 10 people. But unlike almost every other state, he did not issue a stay-at-home order, leaving it up to residents to determine what was safe, and many retail businesses remained open.
The state did, however, order health facilities to halt procedures that could be “safely postponed” to preserve personal protective equipment for health care professionals. The elective surgery directive, issued by the Arkansas Department of Health on April 3, carved out an exception for urgent care and situations where a condition would progress or worsen if surgery was not performed.
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Most governors issued similar directives on elective procedures. However, whether abortion was considered an essential procedure or one that could be safely postponed differed depending on who was giving the orders. In neighboring Texas, an equivalent emergency order was used to shutter clinics despite concerns by medical groups, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, who warned that delaying abortion by days or weeks “may increase the risks or potentially make it completely inaccessible.”
Arkansas’s directive did not include a specific reference to abortion, and in public remarks after its release, Hutchinson and Smith, an infectious disease specialist and the head of the ADH, dodged questions from reporters about how it should be interpreted with respect to abortion. When asked directly on April 6 at a news conference, Smith said the directive was not “intended to replace a physician’s judgment” on whether a procedure could be safely deferred. In other words, the doctor had the final say.
Five miles away from the Little Rock clinic, employees at the state health department were scrambling to make sense of the vague order. A hotline set up to handle questions about the coronavirus was getting repeated calls about abortion, and staffers were unclear how to respond.
“Can we get clarification on whether or not abortion is considered an elective or essential procedure?” Joyce Gorney, a staffer working on the coronavirus hotline on April 6, asked in an email to a department lawyer. The lawyer said they were reviewing the concern and would get back to her. A few days later, she asked again for guidance, adding that “angry callers” were complaining about the Little Rock clinic still operating. It’s not clear if she heard back from the lawyer, but at the same time, other officials were putting together a script for operators. In an email, it was suggested that operators thank the caller “for sharing their personal perspective on the matter.” Operators were encouraged to tell callers that they were reviewing their concerns.
ADH employees were also under persistent pressure from Boss, who, in her role at the board of health, serves as a policy adviser to the department. Since the beginning of April, she had been reaching out to top officials at ADH and other staff regularly to complain about the Little Rock clinic, sending photos of cars parked outside and alleging that the health center was violating social distancing guidelines.
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Boss was “very upset/irate at this moment,” an executive assistant to ADH’s chief of staff wrote in an email to department lawyers on April 1. “She wants someone to go to these places and see what’s going on and she wants to know who it will be and when.” Boss also called Smith’s office, according to emails.
On April 7, ADH received another complaint about the Little Rock clinic, this time from a retired nurse whose name was redacted in records reviewed by HuffPost. The complaint echoed many of Boss’s concerns. “There has been a great increase in the number of Women seeking abortions at this Little Rock facility from Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma as noted from the license plates in the parking lot,” the person wrote in an email sent directly to Smith. “They are busy busy busy making money and using valuable PPE that could be used in hospital settings to save lives.”
Within hours, Becky Bennett, chief of health facilities services, a division of ADH that handles complaints about medical facilities, sent her staff to investigate. But the scene they encountered stood in stark contrast to the allegations made by the unnamed nurse and Boss. There was only one patient car in the parking lot, and the clinic appeared to have taken measures to ensure social distancing. Screening information was posted on the front door. Inside, the waiting room had signs taped to the chairs requiring social distancing of at least 6 feet. The clinic provided 15 abortions that day, and 12 were scheduled for the following day — a far cry from the “25 to 30” claimed by Boss.
Lori Williams, the clinic’s director, explained to ADH staff that the facility had seen a slight increase in patients from Texas due to its abortion ban. Producing a copy of the April 3 directive, she told investigators that, as she understood the order, abortions qualified under the exception for time-sensitive care. The order allowed procedures if there was a risk of a condition progressing if surgery was not performed. Abortions are considered essential, she added, because any increase in gestational age increases risk to the patient, according to notes in a report written after the visit.
ADH investigators seemed to concur. They wrote that “no deficiencies were cited” and recommended no further action. The following day, ADH crafted a letter to Williams that said the clinic was in compliance with the agency’s rules and regulations. Bennett, the chief of health facilities services, signed it and asked another employee to email the letter directly to Williams. But before that employee had time to do anything, Bennett sent another email: “WAIT.”
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The department would not be sending its normal letter this time. Instead, for reasons unknown, Bennett forwarded the findings to two top bosses at ADH: Renee Mallory, deputy director for public health programs, and Connie Melton, director of the Center for Health Protection. Another employee took over the responsibility of drafting the letter and looped in a lawyer in the governor’s office. By the time it came back to Bennett for her signature, the letter was unrecognizable from its original form. According to an email sent by Melton to department lawyers, the “AG modified the draft letter for the complaint investigation.” “AG” refers to Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, according to Bettina Brownstein, one of the lawyers representing the Little Rock clinic.
It was now a cease-and-desist order, directing the clinic to stop providing surgical abortions immediately or lose its license.
Above: As Arkansas stopped providing surgical abortions, other states instituted similar bans, leaving women in the region with very few options. I talked to Williams, a nurse practitioner and the clinical director of Little Rock Family Planning Services, via a Zoom call in June. Williams, who wore navy scrubs with a light blue trim, was at the clinic, her hair pulled up into a loose ponytail. The bright overhead lights cast small shadows on her face, and she spoke in the clipped but warm tone of an experienced nurse.
“I’m always here,” she said, breaking into a brief smile. Beyond her administrative duties, Williams, who has worked at the clinic since 2004, serves primarily as the clinic’s guardian, protecting it against attacks from legislators, protesters and others intent on seeing the clinic close. In her 16 years at the clinic, she has been involved in 12 lawsuits challenging state attempts to restrict abortion access. Former and present co-workers described her as calm under pressure and professional to a fault.
Williams began her career in labor-and-delivery before going back to school for an advanced degree. After graduation, she responded to an ad in the newspaper for a job at an abortion clinic in Little Rock. Four years later, that clinic closed and she began at Little Rock Family Planning Services. She has never seen her transition from delivering babies to helping women end pregnancies as incongruent. “It wasn’t any different than the other care that I had delivered in the past,” she said. “It’s all health care, helping women in a time of need.”
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As soon as the coronavirus outbreak hit Arkansas, Williams said, the clinic’s medical team put measures in place to protect patients and staff, understanding that one wrong step could be used as grounds to close them down. Abortion clinics are highly monitored in Arkansas, subject to 35 pages of rules and regulations issued by the board of health and enforced by the health department. In a sign of its immense power, ADH representatives are authorized to enter clinics without warning at any time, and they may suspend or revoke a clinic license over a single violation.
In order to reduce patient load, the clinic stopped providing basic gynecological care, such as Pap tests and sexually transmitted disease testing, Williams said, remaining open only for abortions. They staggered appointments and asked patients to wait in their cars until a private room was available. Clinic escorts ― volunteers who help patients get into the front door safely, shielding them from protesters ― were told to stay home out of an abundance of caution.
Concerns over the coronavirus did not keep the protesters away, though. Their numbers grew, Williams said, and they did not always wear masks or respect social distancing guidelines. They seemed emboldened by clinic closures in neighboring states, she thought, and eager for Arkansas to join their ranks. Boss was frequently outside, peering through the wooden slats on the security fence to take photos, the clinic’s security guard said. Twice, protesters called the police to allege illegal behavior at the clinic.
Williams was worried that Boss might try to use her power on the board of health to close the clinic, using the coronavirus to her advantage. “That was my concern,” she said. “It seems like an enormous conflict and very unethical for her to intermingle her personal opinions and her professional work.”
In the beginning of April, Williams had two phone calls with ADH in which she explained the measures the clinic was taking. She was not told that abortion was considered nonessential, she said. Nor did anyone tell her that when ADH made an unannounced visit on April 7. So when a health official showed up three days later on Good Friday with a cease-and-desist order, she was surprised.
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That day, the clinic was scheduled to provide surgical abortions for eight patients, including one who was 17 weeks pregnant. (Currently, women in Arkansas can get an abortion up to the 20th week; an 18-week ban signed into law by Hutchinson in 2019 is temporarily blocked by a federal judge.)
It was the second visit to the clinic for all of the women, as they were required to come in 72 hours earlier for mandated counseling. Many of them had driven long distances ― twice. Now they were being told they could not get an abortion after all.
Williams’s first concern was helping them find an appointment elsewhere. But many of the surrounding states were struggling with similar abortion bans. “Louisiana and Texas and Tennessee all were unable to provide surgical care at some point during this,” she said. “It was difficult to navigate who was still open to seeing patients and where would be the closest place for them to drive. Air travel wasn’t an option at all.”
As clinic staff counseled frantic women, anti-abortion protesters and state representatives were celebrating outside. Boss arrived at the clinic before ADH staff delivered the letter, according to Hooper, the clinic’s security guard. Standing by the driveway, Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert livestreamed on Facebook. “Right through that door, they enter there and they’re making a decision that will change their lives and will end the lives of little human beings,” he said. “We need to take a stand for human life.” He was not wearing a mask.
On Twitter, another GOP state senator, Trent Garner, applauded the news. “It looks like the enforcement of the directive stopping abortions is starting,” he wrote. (A few weeks earlier, he had pressured the governor to ban abortion in an insensitive tweet: “We shouldn’t expose women to the risk of the Wuhan COVID-19 virus for an unnecessary elective procedure, and we could save the unborn babies lives.”)
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In a statement posted online, Rutledge, the attorney general, promised to take decisive action if the directive was violated.
Williams, who has the American Civil Liberties Union on speed dial, called for help.
Marsha Boss advises Laura Shue, general counsel for the Arkansas Department of Health, when to send investigators to the clinic. (This graphic is based on copies of the texts obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.) HuffPost US
The following Monday, on April 13, the ACLU, along with the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, sued the state on behalf of the clinic, asking a district court to block the surgical abortion ban. “This was a political decision made by the governor,” Brownstein said. “In my opinion, the Department of Health did not want to do the cease-and-desist order. There was so much political pressure, not just from Marsha Boss but certain anti-choice legislators, and they made so much noise that the governor acquiesced.”
By late Tuesday night, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, allowing surgical abortion services to resume. Williams spent all day Wednesday calling patients and rescheduling their appointments. A few women were nearing the legal limit for abortion, and the race was on to get them seen. For three days the clinic was able to perform surgical abortions before the courts stepped in again.
On April 22, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit reinstated the ban, reversing the lower-court decision. The judges wrote that the ADH directive was really “a delay, not a ban,” because it would expire on May 11 unless the governor renewed the state of emergency.
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Once again, the clinic had to stop providing surgical abortions. Williams canceled dozens of appointments at the last minute. By this point, she said, the delays had sown confusion and created a severe bottleneck, with more and more patients desperate for appointments as their pregnancies progressed. “We had at least 40 patients that we helped to find other places to go,” she said. “But there were dozens and dozens of women calling us trying to make appointments who we couldn’t provide care to.”
The clinic was still providing medication abortions, she said, but the two-drug regimen can only be used within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
On April 27, the state issued a new elective surgery directive. Under the modified rules, elective surgeries could resume as long as the patient could obtain a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of their procedure. Amid a nationwide shortage of coronavirus test kits, patients seeking surgical abortions were now given the hopeless task of tracking down a facility that would test asymptomatic patients and return the results rapidly.
“They kept moving the goal posts on us,” Williams said. “It was extraordinarily difficult.” She called more than 15 hospitals and urgent care facilities to ask about obtaining quick and reliable testing for her patients without luck. That week, the Little Rock clinic had to turn away more than 50 patients who sought care, including 14 who attempted but were unable to obtain COVID-19 testing results in time. Williams emailed ADH asking for assistance in finding a laboratory that could guarantee the short turnaround time but did not receive a response.
On May 1, the Little Rock clinic filed another emergency lawsuit, asking for relief from the testing requirement and warning that there were several women who were days away from the state cut-off for an abortion and who had not been able to obtain a COVID-19 test. This time, the court would not intervene. On May 7, a federal judge denied the clinic’s request, citing the 8th Circuit opinion, which said that when facing a public health crisis, a state may take measures that infringe on constitutional rights.
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Then, almost two weeks later, ADH announced it was relaxing the testing requirement. Effective May 18, patients had 72 hours prior to the elective procedure to obtain a test. By that point, Williams said, the clinic was able to develop relationships with some laboratories to facilitate rapid testing, and more tests were available statewide. It still wasn’t easy for their patients, and for some it was an obstacle they couldn’t overcome, but the clinic decided to dismiss the lawsuit.
“We still think the orders are unconstitutional, but we are fighting many battles to keep reproductive choice a reality in this state,” Brownstein said. “There are certainly more to come.”
The full toll of America’s clinic closures during the coronavirus pandemic is still being understood. How many did not have enough money to travel to another state for care? How many today are carrying to term babies they did not want? How many attempted a secret abortion at home?
These are questions without answers, at least not yet.
In Arkansas, the Little Rock clinic saw far fewer patients in April and May than it did last year because of the evolving bans on surgical abortion. Williams wonders what has happened to those women whom the clinic was not able to help. She knows of at least two patients who missed the window for a legal abortion and are still pregnant.
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Even the patients who were able to obtain an abortion under the governor’s rules were severely affected by the stress of the experience, she said.
One woman had to drive to Little Rock seven times before she was able to obtain an abortion. “She had a COVID test, and it didn’t come back in time. So then she had to retest, and wait to see if it came back before her appointment, and we just went through this terrible cycle over and over,” Williams said.
The woman almost lost her job because of unexplained absences, Williams said, adding that she called the patient’s boss to explain why she needed so many days off. On top of the financial cost ― lost wages and paying for gas to and from health care facilities ― the woman was traumatized from having to continue an unwanted pregnancy for an additional month. “She felt like she was doing everything she was being asked to do and still being denied an abortion,” William said.
Williams is careful not to blame any one person for what happened to abortion access in Arkansas during the pandemic. “It’s the Department of Health, it’s the governor,” she said. She also suspects that Boss, in her dual position as anti-abortion protester and board of health member, played a significant role. In a statement sent to HuffPost, Hutchinson defended Boss, writing that she was “entitled to express her beliefs” and noting the importance of diverse perspectives on the board of health.
To Williams, it seems like women were denied their constitutional right to obtain an abortion over a callous political stunt.
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It didn’t have to be this way, she added.


huffpost--2020-06-22--TikTok Users, K-Pop Fans Say They Sabotaged Trump Rally By Inflating Registrations

Social media users on platforms including the popular video-sharing app have said they completed the free online registration for the rally with no intention of going .
Prior to the event , Trump ’ s campaign manager Brad Parscale said there had been more than one million requests to attend .
However , the 19,000-seat BOK Center arena had many empty seats on Saturday evening and Trump and Vice President Mike Pence canceled speeches to an expected “ overflow ” area outside .
Trump ’ s campaign advisers had seen the rally as a way to rejuvenate his base and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him trailing his Democratic rival , former vice president Joe Biden .
Oklahoma has reported a surge in new coronavirus cases , and the state ’ s department of health had warned those planning on attending the event that they faced an increased risk of catching the virus .
“ Leftists always fool themselves into thinking they ’ re being clever .
Registering for a rally only means you ’ ve RSVPed with a cellphone number , ” Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement .
“ But we thank them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement the campaign weeds out bogus phone numbers and did this with “ tens of thousands ” at the Tulsa event in calculating possible attendance .
“ Actually you just got ROCKED by teens on TikTok who flooded the Trump campaign w/ fake ticket reservations & tricked you into believing a million people wanted your white supremacist open mic enough to pack an arena during COVID , ” she tweeted on Saturday .
“ KPop allies , we see and appreciate your contributions in the fight for justice too , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a TikTok video posted by Mary Jo Laupp , who uses the hashtag # TikTokGrandma , was helping lead the charge .
The video now has more than 700,000 likes .
Two K-pop fans who spoke to Reuters in Skype and phone interviews on Sunday said they had each registered for two spots , not using their real names and numbers .
Raq , a 22-year-old student and Democratic voter in Minnesota who only wanted to be identified by her nickname , said a key reason she took part was that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country ’ s bloodiest outbreaks of racist violence against Black Americans some 100 years ago .
“ I heard it first from just BTS fans and then once I saw that it got to TikTok , I was like , oh yeah , this is going to blow up , ” she said , referring to a popular South Korean boy-band .
Em , a 17-year-old student in Kansas who only wanted to be identified by her username , said she had first heard about the effort on TikTok .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about the rally had been deleted .
“ I think it was partially the TikTokers and the K-pop fans but also people are not as interested in Trump as he thinks they are , ” she said .
Fans of K-pop have rallied around the Black Lives Matter movement on social media in recent weeks , taking over hashtags that opposed the movement and spamming a Dallas police department app that asked for evidence of illegal activity during the protests .
A Reuters reporter said police did temporarily close the access gates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but state troopers helped clear the area and the gates were reopened some three hours before the rally began .

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(Reuters) - TikTok users and fans of Korean pop music took partial credit for inflating attendance expectations at a less-than-full arena at President Donald Trump’s first political rally in months, held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday.
Social media users on platforms including the popular video-sharing app have said they completed the free online registration for the rally with no intention of going.
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Prior to the event, Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale said there had been more than one million requests to attend. However, the 19,000-seat BOK Center arena had many empty seats on Saturday evening and Trump and Vice President Mike Pence canceled speeches to an expected “overflow” area outside.
The Tulsa Fire Department tallied the crowd at about 6,200 people.
Trump’s campaign advisers had seen the rally as a way to rejuvenate his base and demonstrate support when opinion polls have shown him trailing his Democratic rival, former vice president Joe Biden.
Oklahoma has reported a surge in new coronavirus cases, and the state’s department of health had warned those planning on attending the event that they faced an increased risk of catching the virus.
The Trump campaign said entry was on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis and no one was issued an actual ticket.
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“Leftists always fool themselves into thinking they’re being clever. Registering for a rally only means you’ve RSVPed with a cellphone number,” Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement. “But we thank them for their contact information.”
President Donald Trump supporters attend a campaign rally at the BOK Center, Saturday, June 20, 2020, in Tulsa, Okla. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Parscale said in a statement the campaign weeds out bogus phone numbers and did this with “tens of thousands” at the Tulsa event in calculating possible attendance.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat, responded with derision to a Twitter post by Parscale that blamed the media for discouraging attendees and cited bad behavior by demonstrators outside.
“Actually you just got ROCKED by teens on TikTok who flooded the Trump campaign w/ fake ticket reservations & tricked you into believing a million people wanted your white supremacist open mic enough to pack an arena during COVID,” she tweeted on Saturday. “KPop allies, we see and appreciate your contributions in the fight for justice too,” she added.
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CNN had reported Tuesday that a TikTok video posted by Mary Jo Laupp, who uses the hashtag #TikTokGrandma, was helping lead the charge. The video now has more than 700,000 likes.
Two K-pop fans who spoke to Reuters in Skype and phone interviews on Sunday said they had each registered for two spots, not using their real names and numbers.
Raq, a 22-year-old student and Democratic voter in Minnesota who only wanted to be identified by her nickname, said a key reason she took part was that the rally was in Tulsa, the site of the country’s bloodiest outbreaks of racist violence against Black Americans some 100 years ago.
“I heard it first from just BTS fans and then once I saw that it got to TikTok, I was like, oh yeah, this is going to blow up,” she said, referring to a popular South Korean boy-band.
Em, a 17-year-old student in Kansas who only wanted to be identified by her username, said she had first heard about the effort on TikTok. She said many of the original tweets sharing information about the rally had been deleted.
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“I think it was partially the TikTokers and the K-pop fans but also people are not as interested in Trump as he thinks they are,” she said.
Fans of K-pop have rallied around the Black Lives Matter movement on social media in recent weeks, taking over hashtags that opposed the movement and spamming a Dallas police department app that asked for evidence of illegal activity during the protests.
On Saturday, there were some shouting matches and scuffles outside the event between around 30 Black Lives Matter demonstrators and some Trump supporters waiting to enter.
A Reuters reporter said police did temporarily close the access gates after protesters arrived at the rally perimeter, but state troopers helped clear the area and the gates were reopened some three hours before the rally began.
The Biden campaign denied having any role in the social media registration effort.
“Donald Trump has abdicated leadership and it is no surprise that his supporters have responded by abandoning him,” said a campaign spokesman, Andrew Bates.


huffpost--2020-06-22--From Shops To Dining Out, New York City Gears Up For Next Reopening Phase

NEW YORK ( AP ) — New York City ventured into a crucial stage of reopening as stores let people in Monday , offices brought workers back , restaurants seated customers outdoors and residents both welcomed and worried about rebounding from the nation ’ s deadliest coronavirus outbreak .
From Macy ’ s “ Miracle on 34th Street ” store to the World Trade Center ’ s office towers , the city was getting back to business , though with new virus-safety measures after a three-month shutdown .
The 89-year-old World Trade Center developer was eager to return to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming back on staggered schedules Monday .
Employees have to wear masks in the 7 World Trade Center lobby , and footprints mark where to stand in elevators now limited to about a quarter of their usual capacity .
To Silverstein , returning to office life and in-person teamwork brings “ a joy , a fulfillment , such a sense of being able to function.
” He doesn ’ t buy into arguments that the pandemic bodes poorly for office work or New York City .
“ I went through 9/11 .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be able to get people to come back to lower Manhattan , ” said Silverstein , who leased the twin towers six weeks before the 2001 terrorist attacks destroyed them .
“ Never bet against New York , because New York always comes back , bigger and better than ever before.
” Still , with the store reopening , “ it feels like it ’ s coming back to normal , even though we all know it isn ’ t over yet , ” said Marilus , 42 , who brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see workers disinfecting counters .
Alex Michaels may return soon to a retail job .
He agreed it ’ s important to revive the economy , but he worries about potential coronavirus exposure from working with the public , even with new safety measures .
The virus has been blamed for over 22,000 New York City deaths , with the toll down to single and low double digits in recent days .
Infections have plummeted from an early-April peak , but the last two weeks have still averaged about 250 positive tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday marked just the second of four reopening phases , but Mayor Bill de Blasio called it “ the biggest step , ” particularly for a restaurant industry he described as “ so much the identity of New York City.
” “ It ’ s like a dream come true , ” said owner Melba Wilson , president of the NYC Hospitality Alliance .
She said outdoor dining was “ the infusion that we so greatly needed ” after three months of struggling to get by on takeout and delivery .
Only about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City employees are expected back at the bank ’ s offices on July 1 .
JPMorgan Chase hasn ’ t set a date yet for returning to its New York offices ; Wells Fargo ’ s time frame is July 31 or later .
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer is extending remote working at least until the as-yet-undetermined date for city ’ s next reopening phase .

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NEW YORK (AP) — New York City ventured into a crucial stage of reopening as stores let people in Monday, offices brought workers back, restaurants seated customers outdoors and residents both welcomed and worried about rebounding from the nation’s deadliest coronavirus outbreak.
From Macy’s “Miracle on 34th Street” store to the World Trade Center’s office towers, the city was getting back to business, though with new virus-safety measures after a three-month shutdown.
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Larry Silverstein, for one, couldn’t wait.
The 89-year-old World Trade Center developer was eager to return to his office there as Silverstein Properties staffers started coming back on staggered schedules Monday. Employees have to wear masks in the 7 World Trade Center lobby, and footprints mark where to stand in elevators now limited to about a quarter of their usual capacity.
To Silverstein, returning to office life and in-person teamwork brings “a joy, a fulfillment, such a sense of being able to function.” He doesn’t buy into arguments that the pandemic bodes poorly for office work or New York City.
“I went through 9/11. I remember people telling me we were never going to be able to get people to come back to lower Manhattan,” said Silverstein, who leased the twin towers six weeks before the 2001 terrorist attacks destroyed them. “Never bet against New York, because New York always comes back, bigger and better than ever before.”
At Macy’s famous flagship store, Tammi Marilus was in line when doors opened at 11 a.m.
Shoppers have to wear masks. Workers must undergo temperature checks. Makeup testing is temporarily banned.
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Still, with the store reopening, “it feels like it’s coming back to normal, even though we all know it isn’t over yet,” said Marilus, 42, who brought hand sanitizer with her and was pleased to see workers disinfecting counters.
“We have to live our lives. We have to take risks,” she said.
But some New Yorkers were apprehensive.
Alex Michaels may return soon to a retail job. He agreed it’s important to revive the economy, but he worries about potential coronavirus exposure from working with the public, even with new safety measures.
“Something’s got to give. I get that,” said Michaels, 30, but there could be “a high price to pay.”
Eve Gonzalez, who’s not yet back at her food-industry job, feels it’s too soon to relax restrictions.
“I’m dying to go out, but people’s health is more important,” said Gonzalez, 27.
The virus has been blamed for over 22,000 New York City deaths, with the toll down to single and low double digits in recent days. Infections have plummeted from an early-April peak, but the last two weeks have still averaged about 250 positive tests a day, city data shows.
Reopening began June 8 with construction, curbside-pickup retail, wholesaling and manufacturing. The city estimated 150,000 to 300,000 additional workers would return to their jobs Monday.
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Meanwhile, cooped-up kids finally could climb playground monkey bars instead of apartment walls. And shaggy heads could get salon haircuts.
Victor Suarez had a socially distanced full house for much of the afternoon at his barbershop in Queens’ East Elmhurst neighborhood.
“It’s a lot of changes, a lot of rules we have to follow,” Suarez said. “But it’s the new normal. We’re excited to be back.”
Monday marked just the second of four reopening phases, but Mayor Bill de Blasio called it “the biggest step,” particularly for a restaurant industry he described as “so much the identity of New York City.”
At Melba’s in Harlem, customers filled the 62 new outdoor seats faster than expected Monday afternoon.
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“It’s like a dream come true,” said owner Melba Wilson, president of the NYC Hospitality Alliance. She said outdoor dining was “the infusion that we so greatly needed” after three months of struggling to get by on takeout and delivery.
Hours later, de Blasio and wife Chirlane McCray came for dinner on a patio set up in a former parking spot outside Melba’s.
Meanwhile, some shuttered offices reopened in business districts that became virtual ghost towns this spring.
Lawyer Greg Nespole went in to work near Wall Street feeling it was “about time to return to normalcy.”
“You don’t really feel like a lawyer practicing in your kid’s bedroom,” Nespole said.
Some of the city’s biggest corporate employers are sticking with largely remote work for now.
Only about 5% of Citi’s 13,300 New York City employees are expected back at the bank’s offices on July 1. JPMorgan Chase hasn’t set a date yet for returning to its New York offices; Wells Fargo’s time frame is July 31 or later. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer is extending remote working at least until the as-yet-undetermined date for city’s next reopening phase.
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With work-from-home arrangements now established and employees concerned about offices, public-transit commutes and child care, many white-collar companies are “moving with caution and safety,” says Bhushan Sethi, a PwC partner specializing in workplace strategies. The consulting and accounting firm is not yet reopening its own New York office.
As the city reopens, retail worker William Rodgers is figuring out his next steps.
The last three months have not been easy, but “a lot of us have gotten time to reflect on our own lives,” said Rodgers, 29. “That’s one blessing.”
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huffpost--2020-06-22--Brexit Leader Allowed To Attend Trump Rally With A ‘National Interest’ Travel Ban Waiver

Farage , who recently lost his radio show in Britain after comparing Black Lives Matter protesters to the Taliban , was flown from Palm Beach , Florida , to Tulsa for the evening rally , and then to New York City , according to an informal Trump adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity .
“ This was supposed to be a festival to celebrate Trump and Trumpism , and it laid an egg , ” the adviser said , adding that more than 100 high-profile guests had been flown in and put up in hotels on the campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the Republican National Committee paid for Farage and the other invited guests to fly to the rally and stay in Tulsa is unclear .
Neither the campaign nor the RNC responded to HuffPost queries on the matter , and filings that could shed some light on that question are not due at the Federal Election Commission until July 20 .
“ The decision of the Trump Administration to admit Mr. Farage to the United States to enable him to attend a campaign rally at a time when most travel from the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raises numerous troubling questions , ” Thompson wrote .
Farage , who had already returned to Britain on Monday , could not be reached for comment .
He has for several years been popular with white nationalist groups both in the U.K. and the United States .
He led the United Kingdom Independence Party and its successful push for that country to leave the European Union , which Trump also supported .
Farage appeared at a Trump rally in Mississippi in 2016 , and then visited the president-elect at Trump Tower after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also speaking on condition of anonymity , said he could not understand the value of spending campaign funds to ferry Farage around .
“ I don ’ t know why they ’ d waste money on that , ” he said .
The chartered flights would add additional tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of the rally , which included a massive outdoor stage with concert-quality sound for an expected overflow crowd that never materialized , a daylong onsite party of food and music , and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would have featured other speakers and musicians .
The campaign had initially scheduled the rally for June 19 , apparently unaware that the date was Juneteenth , an annual commemoration of the emancipation of the last remaining Black slaves in the U.S .
The campaign also seemed unaware that Tulsa was the site of the worst anti-Black massacre in the nation ’ s history .
Trump backed down from that date following several days of criticism and moved it to Saturday , June 20 .
He continued claiming his campaign had received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least a 10th of those ticketholders would actually show up in Tulsa .
“ We ’ re either close to or over 1 million people wanting to go , ” he said last week in the White House Cabinet Room .
“ Which would mean they would have over 900,000 people that won ’ t be able to go.
” In the end , though , only a tiny fraction of those expected to attend and an even tinier fraction of those who requested tickets showed up .
Tulsa ’ s fire department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside the arena .
There was no overflow crowd , and campaign officials began breaking down the outdoor stage even before Trump ’ s arrival .
Trump was incensed by the poor turnout , which both he and his campaign blamed on protesters blocking access to the entrances -- which neither journalists at the site nor the Tulsa Police Department reported happening -- and on media coverage of Trump ’ s insistence on holding a rally even as the coronavirus pandemic continues .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where masks are not being worn .
That description fit the Bank of Oklahoma Center nearly perfectly , as most attendees followed Trump ’ s lead and chose not to wear a mask .
Whether Trump will replace campaign manager Brad Parscale or others who planned the rally and assured him of high turnout is unclear .
Parscale had no experience in politics prior to 2015 , when he was hired to make Trump ’ s campaign web site , but then he earned millions after Trump won the Republican nomination and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager for his 2020 run in 2018 .
Neither Parscale nor others at the campaign responded to HuffPost queries , but the outside Trump adviser said Parscale is likely safe because he continues secretly paying the wife of one Trump son and the girlfriend of another $ 180,000 per year using campaign money funneled through his personal business .

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WASHINGTON ― Donald Trump’s presidential reelection campaign chartered jets to fly in VIPs to attend his much-hyped but ultimately flopped Oklahoma rally on Saturday, including his pro-Brexit ally Nigel Farage, who was given a “national interest” waiver to enter the country despite the coronavirus travel ban.
Farage, who recently lost his radio show in Britain after comparing Black Lives Matter protesters to the Taliban, was flown from Palm Beach, Florida, to Tulsa for the evening rally, and then to New York City, according to an informal Trump adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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“This was supposed to be a festival to celebrate Trump and Trumpism, and it laid an egg,” the adviser said, adding that more than 100 high-profile guests had been flown in and put up in hotels on the campaign’s dime.
How much the campaign or the Republican National Committee paid for Farage and the other invited guests to fly to the rally and stay in Tulsa is unclear. Neither the campaign nor the RNC responded to HuffPost queries on the matter, and filings that could shed some light on that question are not due at the Federal Election Commission until July 20.
Neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security would explain what “national interest” was served by allowing in Farage solely to let him attend a Trump rally.
His presence in Palm Beach ― a photo of which was posted to his Twitter account Saturday morning ― and at the rally has piqued the interest of House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who on Monday asked DHS to produce documents explaining Farage’s entry.
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“The decision of the Trump Administration to admit Mr. Farage to the United States to enable him to attend a campaign rally at a time when most travel from the United Kingdom to the U.S. has been suspended raises numerous troubling questions,” Thompson wrote.
Farage, who had already returned to Britain on Monday, could not be reached for comment. He has for several years been popular with white nationalist groups both in the U.K. and the United States. He led the United Kingdom Independence Party and its successful push for that country to leave the European Union, which Trump also supported. Farage appeared at a Trump rally in Mississippi in 2016, and then visited the president-elect at Trump Tower after the November election.
One top Republican donor, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said he could not understand the value of spending campaign funds to ferry Farage around. “I don’t know why they’d waste money on that,” he said.
The chartered flights would add additional tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of the rally, which included a massive outdoor stage with concert-quality sound for an expected overflow crowd that never materialized, a daylong onsite party of food and music, and even a street festival for the surrounding blocks that would have featured other speakers and musicians.
The off-site plans fell by the wayside last week when it became clear that protesters against police brutality following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month would also descend on Trump’s appearance.
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Brexit Party leader and former European Parliament member Nigel Farage speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Feb. 28. The British politician has been given a waiver to enter the U.S. for Donald Trump's reelection campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jose Luis Magana/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The campaign had initially scheduled the rally for June 19, apparently unaware that the date was Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the emancipation of the last remaining Black slaves in the U.S. The campaign also seemed unaware that Tulsa was the site of the worst anti-Black massacre in the nation’s history.
Trump backed down from that date following several days of criticism and moved it to Saturday, June 20. He continued claiming his campaign had received 1 million ticket requests and that at least a 10th of those ticketholders would actually show up in Tulsa.
“We’re either close to or over 1 million people wanting to go,” he said last week in the White House Cabinet Room. “Which would mean they would have over 900,000 people that won’t be able to go.”
Indeed, the original plan called for nearly 20,000 inside the arena, 25,000 more outside who would get their own Trump appearance and 100,000 at the street festival in the surrounding area.
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In the end, though, only a tiny fraction of those expected to attend and an even tinier fraction of those who requested tickets showed up. Tulsa’s fire department reported a total of just under 6,200 inside the arena. There was no overflow crowd, and campaign officials began breaking down the outdoor stage even before Trump’s arrival.
Trump was incensed by the poor turnout, which both he and his campaign blamed on protesters blocking access to the entrances -- which neither journalists at the site nor the Tulsa Police Department reported happening -- and on media coverage of Trump’s insistence on holding a rally even as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised Americans to avoid crowded indoor areas, particularly where masks are not being worn. That description fit the Bank of Oklahoma Center nearly perfectly, as most attendees followed Trump’s lead and chose not to wear a mask.
Whether Trump will replace campaign manager Brad Parscale or others who planned the rally and assured him of high turnout is unclear. Parscale had no experience in politics prior to 2015, when he was hired to make Trump’s campaign web site, but then he earned millions after Trump won the Republican nomination and then the presidency. Trump made him campaign manager for his 2020 run in 2018.
“I think this one finally put a stake in him,” the GOP donor said, adding that a number of Trump’s advisers have been clamoring for Parscale’s firing for months. “He’s got the brag thing down, but he doesn’t have the delivery thing down.”
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Neither Parscale nor others at the campaign responded to HuffPost queries, but the outside Trump adviser said Parscale is likely safe because he continues secretly paying the wife of one Trump son and the girlfriend of another $180,000 per year using campaign money funneled through his personal business.


huffpost--2020-03-17--Is It Allergies Or Coronavirus? Here's How To Tell And How To Deal.

It ’ s a stressful time , and any throat tickle or sneeze can trigger even more anxiety about the novel coronavirus .
For people with allergies or asthma , that worry can be inflamed , as many people are concerned that any symptoms they have right now may be a sign of COVID-19 .
If you do have allergies or asthma , there are some extra precautions you can take to lower your risk of infection .
Here ’ s what you need to know .
While seasonal allergies and the coronavirus share certain symptoms , including shortness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are some telltale signs to distinguish one from the other , said Theresa Bingemann , an allergy and immunology specialist and associate professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center .
Are people with allergies or asthma at higher risk for coronavirus ?
“ The more you touch your face , the more likely you are to contract any type of virus , ” said Parikh , noting that beyond coronavirus , the flu and the common cold are both possible ailments .
Parikh said people with allergies could be more susceptible not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nose and eyes , but because their nose , throat or lungs can already be inflamed , which puts them at a higher risk for infection .
“ Allergies involve the airways , sinuses and lungs and coronavirus tends to affect the lungs , so getting allergies under control will make it less likely for the virus to get in , ” Parikh said .
Those with allergies or asthma can take extra precautions .
It ’ s unlikely you ’ ll be able to fully refrain from touching your face , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less or more responsibly .
You should also be “ using a tissue to wipe and sneezing into your elbow instead of your hand to minimize exposure , ” Bingemann said .
“ For people who have allergies , they should make sure they ’ re treating them , ” Bingemann said .
“ If they treat them , they ’ ll be touching their face less .
This isn ’ t the time to hold back on their medicines.
” Parikh also underscored the importance of caring for your preexisting conditions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ under control , you ’ re less likely to catch an infection , ” she said .
“ People with asthma who stick with their controller medicine are less likely to have an asthma attack.
” “ It can be difficult to differentiate between flu and COVID-19 , ” she said , so lowering your risk of flu is imperative .
“ You ’ ll be less likely to overwhelm the health care system .
We need to save resources for those that are affected by the outbreak , since COVID-19 does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : There are things you can do to lower your and others ’ risk for infection , including caring for current conditions and making sure to get vaccines like the flu shot .
As Bingemann put it , “ I think sometimes it helps to remember what we can control.
” In some ways , the ball ’ s in your court .

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It’s a stressful time, and any throat tickle or sneeze can trigger even more anxiety about the coronavirus. For people with allergies or asthma, that worry can be inflamed, as many people are concerned that any symptoms they have right now may be a sign of COVID-19.
If you do have allergies or asthma, there are some extra precautions you can take to lower your risk of infection. Here’s what you need to know.
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Allergies vs. coronavirus symptoms
While seasonal allergies and COVID-19 share certain symptoms, including loss of taste and smell, shortness of breath and possibly some cough, there are some telltale signs to distinguish one from the other, said Theresa Bingemann, an allergy and immunology specialist and associate professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
“Expect more lower respiratory tract symptoms with coronavirus,” she said. “And fever — the most concrete differentiating symptom ― because you don’t see fever at all with allergies.”
Many cases of COVID-19 have been associated with temperatures of 100 degrees and higher, said Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy & Asthma Network.
“Nothing is 100% absolute, but in the majority of cases [of coronavirus], there is a fever,” she said. COVID-19 also can come with extreme fatigue, headaches, digestive issues, chills or body aches.
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Itchiness is not at all associated with COVID-19, Parikh added, and it’s important to remember that “the coronavirus can be spread from person to person, where allergies cannot.”
There’s also the duration of the symptoms. “The coronavirus can last a few weeks and allergies can last longer than that,” Parikh said, noting that some people suffer from allergies year-round.
One way to keep level-headed about your symptoms is to remember your past experiences with allergies.
“Consider what your allergy pattern has been,” Bingemann said, adding that if you’re typically a spring sufferer, you can expect to suffer from the sniffles this spring, too.
Madrolly via Getty Images
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Are people with allergies or asthma at higher risk for coronavirus?
At the start of the pandemic, it was unclear whether people with asthma were more likely to be affected by the coronavirus. However, recent research shows that having asthma doesn’t necessarily increase your risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19. That said, mild-to-severe asthma could qualify you for a vaccine as a comorbidity in some states.
There are some behavioral byproducts of allergies and asthma that could put you at risk if you’re not careful. For example, allergy symptoms — including itchy eyes and a running nose — exacerbate the desire to touch your face, which could pose a problem.
“The more you touch your face, the more likely you are to contract any type of virus,” said Parikh, noting that beyond coronavirus, the flu and the common cold are both possible ailments.
You could also theoretically be at a greater risk of spreading COVID-19 (even asymptomatic cases) if you suffer from allergies. Sneezing expels particles, which spreads into the air and has the potential to affect others. That’s why it’s important to take proper health and safety precautions (more on that below).
PeopleImages via Getty Images
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Preventive measures worth taking if you have asthma or allergies
Everyone should adhere to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — including wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands.
Those with allergies or asthma can take extra precautions. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to fully refrain from touching your face, but there are ways you can do it less or more responsibly. You should also be “using a tissue to wipe and sneezing into your elbow instead of your hand to minimize exposure,” Bingemann said.
Taking care of your allergies and asthma is also a really important step in reducing your risk of infection.
“For people who have allergies, they should make sure they’re treating them,” Bingemann said. “If they treat them, they’ll be touching their face less. This isn’t the time to hold back on their medicines.”
The same is true for those with asthma. “The best prevention of an asthma flare is for people to take their medicines as prescribed,” Bingemann continued.
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Parikh also underscored the importance of caring for your pre-existing conditions for your general health ― COVID-related or not. “If your allergies or asthma is under control, you’re less likely to catch an infection,” she said. “People with asthma who stick with their controller medicine are less likely to have an asthma attack.”
While allergy season approaches, it’s important to remember that it’s still flu season, too. Parikh and other experts recommend everyone get the flu shot — especially those with asthma.
“It can be difficult to differentiate between flu and COVID-19,” she said, so lowering your risk of flu is imperative. “You’ll be less likely to overwhelm the health care system.”
Bottom line: There are things you can do to lower your and others’ risk for infection, including caring for current conditions, taking the proper health precautions and making sure to get vaccines.
As Bingemann put it, “I think sometimes it helps to remember what we can control.” In some ways, the ball’s in your court.
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This story has been updated to include more information about allergies, asthma and COVID-19 risk.