Rock Hall, Hard Rock resort, full-service gas: News from around our 50 states
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Alabama
Montgomery:Attendants are coming out to gas up cars, clean windshields and even deliver food and drinks from inside at a dozen MAPCO stations nationwide, including one in Montgomery. The station near Publix at Vaughn and Taylor roads is now full-service from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Customers can pay from their car using a touchless credit card system. It offers online ordering and curbside service through https://www.mapcorewards.com/fullserviceplus. The company said the limited rollout is part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In-store occupancy is now limited to 10 people or less, in-store seating is closed, plexiglass shields have been installed at all registers and the company said employees have been provided masks and are allowed to wear gloves. The only other Alabama locations that have rolled out the service are in Huntsville. The chain has more than 340 locations nationwide.
Alaska
Bethel: Two animal rights groups arranged for a second shipment of dog food to remote Alaska Native villages they said were in dire need of the supplies. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society of the United States worked together to deliver 8,000 pounds of dog food to Bethel. The need stemmed from the coronavirus pandemic. Supplies were running low after the two groups provided the same amount of dog food in an April shipment. Five pallets of dog food were delivered to the western Alaska hub community. From there, Bethel Friends of Canines will distribute the dog food to rural villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Officials said in a release that delivery of dog food to rural Alaska has been challenging during the pandemic because of limited supplies and transportation options.
Arizona
Window Rock: Census workers will resume dropping off questionnaires at homes on the Navajo Nation this week. The tribe’s legislative branch said the work to deliver paper packets to more than 70,000 homes began Thursday. The operation that started in mid-March quickly was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic. People who receive the packets can fill out the census using the paper forms, by phone or online. The U.S. Census Bureau said its staff has received training in social distancing and workers have protective equipment to do their jobs. The packets are left at homes in areas where most people do not receive mail at a physical address. Navajo Nation Council Speaker Seth Damon urged tribal members to complete the form to ensure an accurate count and to list “Navajo” as the individual tribal affiliation. Census data is collected every 10 years and is used to allocate federal funds that support education, infrastructure and human service expenditures. So far, less than 1% of Navajos have responded on their own, according to the Census Bureau.
Arkansas
Little Rock: The state will further ease its coronavirus restrictions on businesses next week, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday, despite recent dramatic increases in the state’s active cases and hospitalizations. Hutchinson said the state will move into “Phase 2” of reopening on Monday, allowing restaurants, bars and other businesses that are limited to one-third capacity to expand to two thirds. Arkansas last month began allowing businesses that had closed because of the pandemic to reopen but with capacity limits and other restrictions meant to prevent the virus’ spread. The Republican governor decided to further reopen businesses even with the state in the midst of what he has called a second peak of the outbreak. The number of active cases, meaning ones that don’t include people who have recovered or died, has increased by more than 85% since Memorial Day. Hospitalizations have increased by more than 82% in that same period. “We’re not out of the woods,” Hutchinson said. “We’re still in the heart of the woods when it comes to this health care emergency.” Hutchinson and state health officials said there isn’t any evidence connecting the spike in cases to the decision to reopen businesses. The increase has been driven by a rise in cases in northwest Arkansas, especially in the Latino community. The governor has also said the increase is partly due to increased testing in the state.
California
Sacramento: The state Assembly narrowly passed a proposal on Wednesday that would allow legislators to vote remotely during emergencies, as lawmakers widely regretted not being able to act during a weeks-long recess amid the coronavirus pandemic. The measure comes after other states and cities have relaxed rules to vote remotely during the public health emergency. In California, the Legislature stopped work for the first time in 158 years in the middle of March, before resuming committee meetings in early May. Lawmakers said they need to continue serving and passing budgets during events like major earthquakes and pandemics. The state Senate has until June 25 to approve the proposed constitutional amendment for remote voting by two-thirds vote in order to place it on the November ballot, where voters would have the final say. The measure passed with 54 votes, just enough for a two-thirds majority, and bipartisan backing. But some Republicans who opposed the bill said it should be narrowly tailored to only allow lawmakers to cast a vote remotely, not permit them to use someone else as a proxy vote in the event they cannot attend a session during an emergency.
Colorado
Durango: The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has announced plans to reopen with limited service trips by the end of the month after shutting down in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Democratic Gov. Jared Polis eased regulations in the past few weeks, allowing scenic trains to resume operations at 50% capacity, the Durango Herald reported. It is one of the region’s main economic drivers, accounting for about $250 million with more than 200 peak season employees and 100 year-round employees, according to the Durango Chamber of Commerce. It is also a tourist attraction that brings up to 200,000 riders annually from around the world on the 45-mile trek from Durango to Silverton. The company originally said it would only be profitable at 75% capacity, but said it reworked its operations to make 50% financially feasible because it was unlikely it would be allowed to run at a higher capacity. The railroad could start running limited service trips by the last week of June if given approval, which could include shorter trips out of Silverton and reopening the museum and gift shop in Durango. Railroad officials have said they will have to reduce the number of people on each train because of COVID-19 and implement safety measures, such as requiring face masks.
Connecticut
Hartford: Attorneys representing patients at two state psychiatric hospitals in Connecticut are asking a judge to require Connecticut Valley Hospital and Whiting Forensic Hospital to take additional steps to stop the spread of the new coronavirus to better protect patients, including reducing the patient populations. They’re also calling for improvements in hygiene and decontamination practices; steps that ensure staff consistently wear masks and patients are encouraged to wear masks; and requiring both hospitals to conform their testing protocols to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards. This week, the Connecticut Legal Rights Project and the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and Center for Public Representation filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in a class-action lawsuit against the state. They note there have been outbreaks at both hospitals and five patients at Connecticut Valley Hospital have died from COVID-19, while the state has confirmed 73 cases among patients and 64 among staff at both facilities. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Service said the agency was not able to comment on pending litigation.
Delaware
Wilmington:Now that outdoor gatherings of up to 250 people are allowed by the state, schools are starting to rethink in-person graduation ceremonies. School districts are creatively coming up with plans to celebrate seniors and prevent the spread of COVID-19. In the Christina School District, high schools opted for an outdoor event, giving students the opportunity to walk across a stage. Dressed in graduation garb in their decorated cars, Capital High School graduates took a victory lap around Dover International Speedway, receiving their diplomas through the car window. For students at Sussex Tech, groups of teachers paraded through the county to drop off items like senior T-shirts, graduation caps and gowns and yard signs. And in communities across Delaware, neighbors have organized their own graduation parades to give students an in-person event as several districts hold virtual ceremonies. Other school districts continue to roll out graduation plans for the coming weeks. In most cases, students are split into staggered groups to accommodate the 250-person rule.
District of Columbia
Washington: After more than a month of decline in deaths, the District has been on a slight upward trend for the past three days. The daily numbers remain far below where they were in early and mid-May, however. On Wednesday, DC Health reported 63 new cases and four new deaths, bringing the city’s totals to 9,537 and 499, respectively.
Florida
Hollywood: The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino said it will open its doors later this week for the first time since March, when coronavirus concerns forced it to close. The casino resort will open Friday with requirements that visitors wear face masks and get temperature checks upon entering. Some table games are being retrofitted with plexiglass shields and gaming chips will be sprayed with a sanitizing solution. Capacity will be limited to 50% and guests and workers are expected to maintain social distancing, according to new guidelines. The resort said all of its properties have been equipped with air purification and disinfecting systems. Meanwhile, Disney officials outlined new hotel protocols as they prepare to reopen Walt Disney World resorts next month. The company said it would devote extra cleaning to high-traffic areas like elevators, escalators, handrails, benches and restrooms. Restaurants and fitness centers will have limits on the number of people allowed in, and cashless options will be emphasized at shops and restaurants, the company said.
Georgia
Atlanta: A Georgia man is accused of falsely claiming that an air purifier he was selling would kill the coronavirus, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Stephen Matthew “Matt” Shumaker of Marietta had postcards sent to thousands of Georgia residents claiming that the Beyond Guardian Air air purifier kills “every known major viral and bacterial infection,” including the coronavirus and COVID-19, according to a sworn statement from a postal inspector filed in federal court in Atlanta. The postcards, which were mailed in March and include a photo of the air purifier, feature a red box with white type that says: “KILL COVID-19, CORONAVIRUS IN YOUR HOME!!” according to a copy included in the postal inspector’s statement. Shumaker, 43, is charged with mail fraud and knowingly distributing and selling a misbranded pesticidal device. Federal prosecutors said Shumaker has been arrested. Online court records did not list an attorney who could comment on the charges. The postal inspector opened the investigation in April after a resident reported receiving a suspicious postcard in the mail. The postal inspector found that the phone number on the card was registered to Pure Life Water Corp, which is run by Shumaker.
Hawaii
Hilo: Hawaii County has canceled all sponsored Independence Day festivities because of concerns about spreading the new coronavirus among thousands of attendees, officials said. Mayor Harry Kim said the county’s annual Fourth of July events cannot be safely conducted without risking an additional outbreak of of COVID-19, The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Wednesday. County-sponsored events include the Hilo Bay Blast, which provides a day of activities around Hilo Bayfront culminating in a public fireworks display. The cancellation was the “necessary thing to do,” Kim said. “Nobody wanted to have to do this,” Kim said. “But literally thousands of people go to the Bayfront for these events. There’s no way we can ensure that everything will be safe by next month.” Other canceled Big Island holiday events include the Kailua-Kona Fourth of July parade and fireworks and the Parker Ranch Fourth of July rodeo and horse races in Waimea. Kim said he hopes some of the events can be rescheduled for later in the year when concerns about the spread of the virus have eased.
Idaho
Boise: Gov. Brad Little said Idaho can move to the fourth and final stage of his plan to return to regular activity during the coronavirus pandemic despite a bump in infections, including among health care workers. The Republican governor said restrictions will be lifted Saturday that will allow gatherings of more than 50 people as long as precautions are taken. Employers can resume unrestricted staffing but should protect workers with physical distancing and other measures. Visits to senior living facilities can resume, but physical distancing and good hygiene should be practiced. The wearing of face coverings should continue when people go out in public. Little’s plan for moving through the four stages is based on infection rates and testing. The readiness of the health care system is another factor, including available ventilators and beds in intensive care units. Little said Thursday that all those factors allowing moving to stage 4 are being met, though it was close on several. Idaho has 3,260 confirmed cases of the virus that have caused 85 deaths, according to a total by Johns Hopkins University on Thursday. Stage 4 is scheduled to end on June 26.
Illinois
Chicago: Surgeons have given a new set of lungs to a young woman with severe lung damage from the new coronavirus. Only a few other COVID-19 survivors, in China and Europe, have received lung transplants. The patient, who is her 20s, was on a ventilator and heart-lung machine for almost two months before her operation June 5 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The 10-hour procedure was challenging because the virus had left her lungs full of holes and almost fused to the chest wall, Dr. Ankit Bharat, who performed the operation, said Wednesday. Doctors have kept her on both machines while her body heals but said her chances for a normal life are good. “We are anticipating that she will have a full recovery,” said Dr. Rade Tomic, medical director of the hospital’s lung transplant program. The patient was not identified but Bharat said she had recently moved to Chicago from North Carolina to be with her boyfriend. She was otherwise pretty healthy but her condition rapidly deteriorated after she was hospitalized in late April. Doctors waited six weeks for her body to clear the virus before considering a transplant. Lungs accounted for just 7% of the nearly 40,000 U.S. organ transplants last year. They are typically hard to find and patients often wait weeks on the transplant list. The Chicago patient was in bad shape, with signs that her heart, kidneys and liver were beginning to fail, so she quickly moved up in line, Bharat said.
Indiana
Indianapolis: Movie theaters, bars, museums and amusement parks across the state will be allowed to reopen Friday for the first time in nearly three months, as Gov. Eric Holcomb said he was moving up by two days the next stage of easing the state’s coronavirus restrictions. A new state order will allow social gatherings of up to 250 people and retail stores and malls to operate at full capacity, Holcomb said. Gatherings have been limited to 100 people and stores to 75% capacity for the past three weeks as such limits have been gradually lifted since early May. Restaurants will be allowed 75% capacity in their dining rooms, while bars, nightclubs, movie theaters, bowling alleys, museums and amusement parks can open at half-capacity. Casinos can resume operations starting Monday under safety plans submitted to the Indiana Gaming Commission. Public playgrounds can reopen Friday, but festivals and parades ares still prohibited. This reopening stage had been scheduled for Sunday. Officials said the earlier action was possible because of continuing declines in the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 and the availability of intensive care unit beds to treat those who are most seriously ill.
Iowa
Des Moines: Hold the pork chop on a stick and get a butter cow rain check. Thie Iowa State Fair was canceled because of coronavirus concerns, marking the first time since World War II that the annual gathering won’t be held in Des Moines. Without comment, the state fair board voted 11-2 to cancel the fair, which typically caps an Iowa summer with an 11-day run in mid-August. The fair is the biggest attraction in Iowa, typically drawing more than 1 million visitors who check out the butter cow, buy pork chops or countless other food typically skewered with a stick and stroll through 445 acres of barns, carnival attractions and even a campground. Officials in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Indiana also have canceled their fairs, though state fairs are going ahead in some states, including Nebraska, South Dakota and Kansas.
Kansas
Wichita: A Catholic church in Wichita has temporarily closed after a priest tested positive for COVID-19. Matt Davied of the Church of the Magdalen said in a Facebook post on the church’s account that he underwent testing after waking up feeling ill on Wednesday. He said he is now in isolation. Because the priests live together in the rectory, a second priest is in quarantine. All Masses at the church have been suspended and live streams will be temporarily discontinued, The Wichita Eagle reported.
Kentucky
Frankfort: Education and health officials plan to meet Friday to discuss how to safely reopen schools during the coronavirus pandemic. The Kentucky Department for Public Health is working on protocols and will meet with the leaders at the Kentucky Department of Education to “hone the guidance,” Interim Education Commissioner Kevin C. Brown said in a statement. A timeline for the release of the guidance will be established at the meeting, officials said. The Department for Public Health has implemented Healthy at Work guidance and officials said schools should follow similar guidelines that include wearing face masks and social distancing. Brown said he thinks districts can begin looking at an August start date for classes, but should be prepared to switch to nontraditional instruction if circumstances call for it.
Louisiana
Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University scientists will be testing sewage for genetic traces of the novel coronavirus in Baton Rouge. The technique is being used in many places. Although most sewage systems use gravity to bring sewage to a central plant, flat cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge must use pumping stations. Because Baton Rouge has more than 500 pumping stations, “we can get precise with our sampling,” environmental engineering professor John Pardue said in a news release Tuesday from LSU. Tulane University said a $1 million donation from Colorado cookbook author Elana Amsterdam and her husband, Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz, will let it more than triple its ability to test for COVID-19. Equipment bought with the money will enable 1,000 tests a day, up from 300, a news release said Monday. Tulane said its lab ran about 3,000 tests from April 1 until mid-May. Those included almost 1,400 from Orleans Parish Prison, 300 from a clinic set up in the Morial Convention Center and 600 from patients of state mental health facilities. Amsterdam and Katz are parents of a student at Tulane, university spokesman Keith Brannon said.
Maine
Augusta: State Senate President Troy Jackson said “we’re getting close” to the point where state lawmakers can reconvene, three months after they adjourned and gave Democratic Gov. Janet Mills broad emergency powers to address the coronavirus pandemic. Although Mills has come under criticism, state lawmakers have remained on the sidelines and tensions flared last week when the labor commissioner skipped an oversight hearing. But that might be changing. “I certainly feel like we are getting close to the point where we may reconvene and, at that time, her emergency powers either won’t be the same, or they won’t be there at all,” Jackson told the Portland Press Herald. Neither Jackson nor House Speaker Sara Gideon, both Democrats, would provide a specific timetable because details have yet to be worked out about how best to safely reconvene amid an ongoing public crisis. Mills could call the Legislature back into special session at any time. She told lawmakers in March that they should reconvene “when it is safe to do so.” On Thursday, members of the much-larger state House of Representatives reconvened at an indoor arena on the University of New Hampshire campus to ensure social distancing guidelines.
Maryland
Baltimore: Federal agents have seized thousands of COVID-19 treatment capsules and dozens of testing kits, saying the items were all imported from China and are fake. A Baltimore-based team of agents from Homeland Security Investigations found the COVID-19 treatment capsules at the Port of Baltimore, hidden in boxes under packets of Chinese tea, WJZ reported. John Eisert, HSI Baltimore special agent in charge, said his team is concerned about what’s inside the capsules, which were touted as being able to relieve coronoavirus patients of their symptoms. Eisert said prior seizures of pharmaceuticals have revealed ingredients such as sheet rock, pesticides and lead. HSI launched a nationwide operation, Operation Stolen Promise, to seize COVID contraband. Agents also are trying to take down websites where these products are available to be purchased and shipped to the U.S.
Massachusetts
Boston: Even as ridership remains low, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is preparing to ramp up service across all of modes of transit, including subways, buses, ferries and commuter rail. Beginning June 21, regular weekday subway service will operate on the Blue Line and increased weekday service will operate on the Red, Orange, Green, and Mattapan lines. Service will also be increased for nearly 60 high-demand bus routes in the metropolitan Boston area. On June 22, commuter rail service will be increased and ferry service will resume on weekdays. The changes come as the state begins to reopen after months of a stay-at-home advisory meant to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus that led to plummeting ridership on the public transit system. MBTA officials said that although passenger volume continues to be just a fraction of prepandemic levels, they will continue to closely monitor ridership and undesirable crowding and make adjustments as needed. Riders are required to wear masks and try to maintain social distance when possible.
Michigan
Port Huron:An annual sailboat race along Lake Huron will be held next month, despite cancellations of other events because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Bayview Port Huron race is planned for July 11, the Times Herald reported. This year’s race will have one route instead of two. Participation is down about 40% so far, which Bayview Mackinac race chairman Chris Clark credited to circumstances related to the pandemic. “The mantra this year is ‘Patience and Flexibility,’ ” Clark wrote in an email. “We are working hard with all those involved in hosting the race to make sure everyone has a safe fun race!.” The Chicago Yacht Club posted a statement last week announcing the cancellation of the 2020 Chicago to Mackinac Island sailboat race. Race Chairman Martin Sandoval said the Chicago race’s committee had taken a “patient and pragmatic” approach to following limitations and guidelines. The race was scheduled for July 17. Clark noted that the Chicago race does not affect the Bayview race. “The CYC race to Mackinac is a great race and it is sad to see any Great Lakes race needing to be canceled. Chicago is facing their own unique issues that are not the same as ours.” Other summer events in Port Huron, including the Blue Water Fest and the 100th annual International Day Parade, have been canceled.
Minnesota
St. Paul:Another 13 Minnesotans died from COVID-19 and 453 more people have tested positive for the disease, according to Thursday’s report from the Minnesota Department of Health. Stearns County reported seven more cases Thursday, Sherburne County reported one and Benton County had no new cases, according to the report. Stearns County now has reported 2,088 cases and 17 deaths, Sherburne County has reported 261 cases and two deaths and Benton County has reported 190 cases and three deaths. Statewide, the number of people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus reached 29,316 on Thursday and 1,249 people have died, according to the report. Of those cases, 24,870 patients no longer need isolation. As of Thursday, 411 people remain hospitalized with the virus, and 196 of them remain in intensive care. In total, 3,522 cases have required hospitalization.
Mississippi
Vicksburg: Efforts to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus have further delayed the return of cruises along the Mississippi River. American Cruise Lines announced this week that it would resume operations on the river July 11, The Vicksburg Post reported. It was previously expected to resume in late June. Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Laura Beth Strickland told the newspaper that the American Harmony cruise liner was now set to arrive in Vicksburg on July 13. The American Queen Steamboat Company also delayed its return to the river because of the virus. Its cruise is now expected to return to Vicksburg on July 17. Before the pandemic, the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau had projected a record year for riverboat traffic.
Missouri
St. Louis: With St. Louis County scheduled to completely reopen Monday, a gym business and the county have agreed to drop a lawsuit filed after two gyms a opened despite a county stay-at-home order. The county will permit gyms, theaters, fitness centers and pools to reopen Monday. Attorneys for the county and the House of Pain agreed to drop the case, according to a court filing on Wednesday, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. House of Pain gyms in Maryland Heights and Chesterfield reopened in defiance of the county restrictions, sparking county and federal lawsuits. House of Pain attorney W. Christopher McDonough argued the county regulations conflicted with state and federal laws.
Montana
Helena: New applications for unemployment benefits in Montana have declined, but the number of new applications submitted last week was more than twice as high as it was during in the same week last year, officials said Thursday. The number of new applications for job assistance submitted in Montana last week fell to 2,892, according to the U.S. Employment and Training Administration. That’s a decrease of 5% from the number of applications submitted the previous week, but an increase of 256.2% compared to the same week last year. As of May 30, 44,929 people in Montana were receiving unemployment benefits. That represents 9.9% of all eligible employees in the state. The state has processed 111,644 claims for unemployment since March 14, representing 24.5% of Montana’s workforce that is eligible for the unemployment insurance program.
Nebraska
Lincoln: The state potentially faces nearly $3.7 billion in agricultural losses from the coronavirus pandemic if economic conditions do not improve, the Nebraska Farm Bureau said. Its estimate projects revenue losses for this year’s commodities, including corn, soybeans, wheat, beef cattle and pork production, as well as dairy and ethanol products, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. It does not account for any financial assistance farmers and ranchers receive from COVID-19 relief programs. Jay Rempe, the Nebraska Farm Bureau’s senior economist, said the analysis “clearly demonstrates the magnitude of the financial challenges currently facing farm and ranch families,” adding that impact could be felt across the broader rural economy. The analysis pegs potential estimated losses in the beef cattle sector at nearly $1 billion in 2020. Potential corn and soybean losses were estimated at $1.17 billion. Losses in the ethanol sector could reach $1.3 billion, assuming that ethanol plants are unable to operate at more than 75% of capacity for the remainder of the year. “Farmers and ranchers are really struggling,” Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson said.
Nevada
Carson City: Less than a week after Nevada reopened doors to its casinos, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced students could return for summer school coursework. Sisolak signed a directive Tuesday to allow school districts, charter schools and private schools operating in Nevada to reopen immediately. “This directive will allow schools to return to a sense of normalcy while keeping the health and safety of students and staff at the forefront,” Sisolak said in a statement. The directive gives schools broad decision-making power over whether to hold in-person classes, remote learning or a combination as they conduct summer school courses. It arrives almost two months after Sisolak ordered Nevada schools closed March 15 to curb the spread of new coronavirus and less than two weeks after Nevada begun transitioning to Phase 2 of his “Roadmap to Recovery” plan. The directive also requires schools to develop reopening plans in accordance with a Department of Education-devised framework at least 20 days before the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The framework outlines key considerations for schools to consider, including hygiene, social distancing, face coverings and communicating with students and parents. Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert said the directive offered school districts “flexibility” to determine reopening protocols based on local circumstances.
New Hampshire
Concord: A boat that cruises around Lake Winnipesaukee will be back in business soon, with fewer outings and passengers. The M/S Mount Washington will start offering lunch cruises on June 20 and dinner cruises on June 27. One lunch cruise will be offered every day from Weirs Beach, including a first-time Father’s Day cruise on June 21. In the past, the holiday conflicted with Laconia Bike Week, which has been postponed. Dinner cruises will be offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. This will allow time to do additional cleaning between cruises. The number of passengers on board has been reduced by more than 50%. Buffet service will be replaced by table service on all cruises.
New Jersey
Asbury Park: This Jersey shore city often associated with Bruce Springsteen is defying Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order and will allow limited indoor dining at its restaurants. The City Council on Wednesday approved a resolution permitting its restaurants to host diners inside at 25% of the building’s capacity or 50 people, whichever is less, beginning June 15. The governor on Tuesday set similar restrictions for indoor gatherings when he announced only outdoor dining for bars and restaurants could resume on June 15. The Democrat has yet to say when they can reopen for indoor seating. According to the Asbury Park Press, Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said the city took the action because restrictions implemented to control the coronavirus pandemic were taking a toll on the city’s restaurants. A popular eatery announced last week it would close permanently. Allowing diners inside still carries risks. “While the city of Asbury Park is not going to levy any fines against you, the state of New Jersey could,” Quinn said. Murphy’s office has not commented.
New Mexico
Las Cruces: The Las Cruces Economic Recovery Board convened for the first time this week to address local economic needs as businesses reopen. The board selected leadership and discussed what health steps board members had seen taken in their respective industries. They discussed building a campaign to instill public confidence it will be safe to patronize businesses under a “new normal.” The city formed the ad hoc board on local economic recovery last month after some city council members were concerned the city and Doña Ana County weren’t well-represented on the state’s Economic Recovery Council. The state’s Economic Recovery Council worked with state health officials to formulate industry-specific COVID-safe practices business owners and employees should follow to mitigate spread of the virus as New Mexico’s economy continues to reopen. The board, which will meet weekly, said it will work in alignment with the state’s Economic Recovery Council and develop Las Cruces-specific recommendations and practices.
New York
New York City: Some businesses have jumped ahead on what’s supposed to be a slow and methodical emergence from the coronavirus lockdown. Stores in parts of New York City have started to allow customers inside to shop, even though the phased reopening that began Monday only allows retailers to sell merchandise via curbside pickup for now. At least a dozen customers perused racks of women’s clothing inside Mini-Max in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood on Wednesday. Shoppers mostly self-policed for social distancing, which wasn’t difficult given the store’s size, but the only restriction applied by owner Albert Abeal was that customers must wear masks. “We just opened. Everybody’s hungry for merchandise,” said Abeal, who has owned the store for about 20 years. He said business this week had essentially returned to normal, although he didn’t expect that to last. “They didn’t buy clothes for so long. It’s going to slow down in a week.”
North Carolina
Raleigh: The administration of Gov. Roy Cooper has ordered the closure of a small stock-car track that has allowed large crowds to gather repeatedly for weekend races, declaring it an “imminent hazard” for the spread of COVID-19. The order signed by Cooper’s health secretary said Ace Speedway in Alamance County, 65 miles northwest of Raleigh, is violating the governor’s executive order limiting outside mass assemblies to 25 people. Media outlets have reported crowds at the speedway exceeding 2,000 people, including a gathering on June 6 even after the Democratic governor’s office wrote a letter stating the speedway’s actions were in “open defiance” of the health restrictions. Media reports indicated many attendees at three weekend races since late May sat and stood near each other, and few wore masks. The action came after Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson said Monday he wouldn’t issue a misdemeanor citation to the speedway. He questioned the legality of Cooper’s restrictions and said local tracks elsewhere weren’t being punished for opening. Cooper had said he would act if Alamance County officials wouldn’t. “North Carolinians are making huge sacrifices to protect their families and neighbors. This virus is highly contagious and very dangerous,” Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said in a news release. “Bad actors who flagrantly violate public health orders put all of our families and loved ones at risk.” The next regularly scheduled race at the quarter-mile track is June 19.
North Dakota
Bismarck: Mass testing for the new coronavirus returned to Fargo on Thursday, about a month after targeted screenings were started to help lower the number of cases in North Dakota’s most populous metropolitan area. The surveillance testing, meant to identify people who might have COVID-19 but aren’t showing symptoms, is being held at the Fargodome for the next two days. State officials said they are well-stocked with testing kits and are looking to expand mass testing to Grand Forks, Bismarck and Minot. Meanwhile, members of a task force tackling the state’s hot spot are focusing on contact tracing of positive tests from concentrating on vulnerable populations, Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney said. Cass County is likely to top 2,000 COVID-19 cases in the next day. The mass testing, Mahoney said, should help the metropolitan area go further in reducing restrictions on businesses.
Ohio
Cleveland: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is reopening, but fans will need to practice social distancing by staying at least “two Stratocasters apart” and bring their credit cards, officials said Thursday. Rock’s shrine will reopen on June 15 after closing on March 14 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Visitors must practice social distancing of 6 feet, or at least the distance of two Stratocaster guitars. Temperatures will be checked at the door and fans must wear masks. There will be continuous cleaning inside and hand sanitizers. There also will be advance online ticketing, limited capacity with timed ticketing and no cash will be accepted. Officials said nearly 600,000 people visit the museum annually. Live music is scheduled to resume on the plaza in July. The Hall will offer free admission to health care workers and their families on June 14.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City: Revenue collections in Oklahoma continue to fall below projections as the state starts to reopen businesses that were stalled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The state Office of Management and Enterprise Services reported revenue collections in May of $490.1 million – $65.5 million, or 11.8%, below estimates and $83.8 million, or 14.6%, below May 2019 collections. “May’s revenue collections shortfall was expected, as continual losses suffered by the oil and gas industry negatively impact the state,” OMES Director Steve Harpe said in a statement Tuesday. Businesses began reopening in late April under a plan by Gov. Kevin Stitt. Gross production taxes, which include taxes on natural gas and oil, were $28.2 million for the month, $55.7 million, or 66.4%, below the estimate. Sales tax collections of $164.1 million were $29.1 million, or 15%, below estimates. Total revenue collections during the first 11 months of fiscal year that ends June 30 were $552.3 million, or 8.8%, below the estimate, according to OMES.
Oregon
Portland: State public health officials said a coronavirus outbreak at a North Bend prison has been resolved. The minimum-security prison at one point had 25 infected inmates and three infected employees, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. It is one of four state prisons with confirmed cases of the virus. A spokesperson for the Oregon Health Authority said in an email that an outbreak is considered over 28 days after the date of the last onset of symptoms for people with the virus. At the Oregon State Penitentiary, the state’s maximum-security prison in Salem, cases have slowed, said Christopher DiGiulio, the chief of medicine for the Oregon Department of Corrections. The prison has reported one new case of coronavirus in the past several days, he said. Previously, the state was reporting as many as 20 new cases a day there, he said. As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed cases among Oregon inmates stood at 167. Another 47 employees also have tested positive. The outbreak at the Oregon State Penitentiary remains the largest in the state with a total of 168 cases among inmates and workers combined. Among inmates, 93 are considered recovered, DiGiulio said.
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia: The city’s health commissioner said there is concern that protests following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota will lead to a spike in virus infections in the city, but so far, “there’s no evidence of transmission yet.” Dr. Thomas Farley said at an online news conference Thursday that many of the protesters in Philadelphia were wearing masks and that “in many cases they were keeping a distance from other people.” On Saturday, thousands jammed the city’s grand Benjamin Franklin Parkway to demonstrate against police treatment of black people and racial injustice. “It’s still early. We’re going to have to watch this for at least another week, but so far, so good,” Farley said. Officials have urged demonstrators to get tested.
Rhode Island
Portsmouth: A park is being turned into a temporary drive-in theater by a local nonprofit known for bringing powerful documentaries to the public. NewportFILM hasn’t been able to hold its full range of programs recently because of the coronavirus pandemic, but on June 25, it will screen the film “Public Trust” at Glen Park, The Newport Daily News reported. The 96-minute film follows journalist Hal Herring as he explores protecting the nation’s public lands, said Becca Bertrand, executive director of the nonprofit. The Portsmouth Town Council earlier this week gave approval for the project. The event will be limited to 100 cars, which will be spaced 6 feet apart in rows separated by 20 feet. Preregistration will be required.
South Carolina
Columbia: State epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell, the top South Carolina health official overseeing efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak, said she’s worried a lack of social distancing and adherence to other preventative measures are hampering efforts to fight the pandemic as infection numbers continue to rise. “Today I am more concerned about COVID-19 in South Carolina than I have ever been before,” Bell said during a news conference. “We are all eager to return to our normal lives … but it will take us that much longer to get there if we don’t stop the virus today.” In the past two weeks, Bell said that South Carolina had posted its highest new daily case counts since the beginning of the pandemic. On Wednesday, Bell noted more than 500 new positive tests had been posted, for a total of more than 15,700 in the state. Thus far, she said, 575 people in the state have died. Among her concerns, Bell noted a widespread lack of mask-wearing and social distancing, as some South Carolinians relax their attitudes toward restrictions surrounding the outbreak. She also cited a lack of self-isolation in new hot spot areas like Greenville, where some infected people have spread the virus to other members of their households. Nearly a third of cases in that area, Bell said, were among Greenville’s Latino population, a circumstance that had prompted state health officials to step up Spanish-language materials about the virus and prevention efforts.
South Dakota
Sioux Falls:Despite canceled events in surrounding states, the Sioux Empire Fair and the South Dakota State Fair are planned to run as scheduled, officials said. As for the Sturgis Rally, the state’s most popular event, officials and business owners appear at odds about whether it will happen. The Iowa and Minnesota state fairs announced that they would be canceled for the first time in decades. The Minnesota State Fair was canceled May 22. The Iowa State Fair was canceled Wednesday. For the South Dakota fairs, they just might look a little different, said Courtney Drenth, director of marketing and public relations for the Sioux Empire Fair. “We want to give people something to look forward to with the fair,” Drenth said. “As a state, a lot of people are looking forward to end of summer events, like the Sturgis Rally and fairs. This is giving people something to celebrate.” The Sioux Empire Fair at the W.H. Lyons Fairgrounds is the second-largest event in the state with about 300,000 people attending over the nine-day event. The Sturgis Rally is far and away the largest, with 490,000 in attendance in 2019, according to the Sturgis Rally website. The Sioux Empire Fair is planned from July 31 to Aug. 8. As of now, all concerts – including headlining country band Old Dominion – are planned as scheduled, with seating and standing area planned as normal. The fair will also have several vendors and a carnival. The fair usually holds about 50 food vendors and up to 40 carnival rides. Although officials haven’t completed what changes there will be this year, the South Dakota State Fair will likely “be scaled to ensure Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines are being implemented,” according to an announcement from the state Department of Agriculture. The fair is planned for Sept. 3 through Sept. 7
Tennessee
Memphis:The Stax Museum of American Soul Music said it plans to reopen to the public after closing for three months because of the coronavirus pandemic. The museum said it will start welcoming visitors on June 18. It closed March 18 as officials in Memphis issued coronavirus-related safety orders that shuttered tourist destinations like Stax and Graceland. Located in Memphis’ Soulsville neighborhood, Stax produced records by some of the top soul artists of the 1960s and 1970s, including Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Sam & Dave, Carla and Rufus Thomas, The Staple Singers, Booker T. and the MG’s, and others. The museum features self-guided tours of exhibits about the recording studio’s history and memorabilia connected to Stax artists, such as Hayes’ flashy Cadillac car. The reopening includes a new exhibit featuring Stax album cover photographs. Stax said admission and merchandise transactions will now be cashless.
Texas
Austin:The tide of coronavirus-induced layoffs in Texas appears to be slowly receding, with weekly claims for first-time unemployment benefits in the state down for the seventh week in a row and slipping below 100,000 for the first time since mid-March. But the number of newly out-of-work Texans who have been filing for benefits remains huge by prepandemic standards. The roughly 90,000 who did so last week is about seven times more than the weekly average in February, before the virus shuttered large swaths of the state and national economies, according to U.S. Labor Department data. In addition, some economists said the new claims over the past few weeks likely signal that the financial hit from the virus has been spreading because fresh job losses probably aren’t the result of layoffs at restaurants, retail stores and other consumer-facing businesses that felt the impact immediately and took action during the early days of the pandemic. “Who are the almost 90,000 people who lost their jobs last week as we continue to open up the Texas economy?” said Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics in Austin. Although the data doesn’t make that clear, Schenker said those jobs “may take a while to get back” because they appear to be tied more to the broad economic downturn triggered by the virus than to the stay-at-home orders and mandatory business closures that now are being lifted. But Schenker and others called the decline in first-time claims for unemployment benefits a positive development, at least in terms of indicating that the deluge of layoffs has been tapering and fewer people overall are losing their jobs.
Utah
Salt Lake City: Utah’s rate of positive COVID-19 tests has skyrocketed in recent weeks, leading at least one prominent doctor to suggest the state might need to take a step back after a month of reopenings. That happened this week in the northern Utah city of Logan, where city officials closed the library and the recreation center again for the foreseeable future. Dr. Samuel Brown, a critical care researcher at Intermountain Healthcare, said he’s concerned that Utah might have to shut down again if people don’t seriously practice mask-wearing and social distancing in the rush to reopen businesses and get the economy jump-started. “I understand why people are eager to be on the move again – I really do,” Brown said “It’s also true that if we’re not really careful, people will die.” Utah is among a large number of states in the U.S. with rising cases, according to an Associated Press analysis. State epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn last week urged Utah residents to continue social distancing and wearing masks about a month after much of the state has been allowed to reopen.
Vermont
Montpelier: The state is on the verge of allowing mail-in voting for this fall’s presidential election, a step seen as preparatory in case a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic makes in-person balloting too dangerous. The House is scheduled to give final approval to the proposal Friday after it passed the Senate. It would then be sent to Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican who has said he supports preparations to vote by mail but wanted to wait to see if it would be necessary. Voters would receive ballots in the mail and could mail them back, take them to their local clerk or take them to their polling place on Election Day.
Virginia
Bristol: The Birthplace of Country Music Museum reopened Thursday and offered free passes to health care workers. The offer is a thank you for health care workers’ “bravery and compassion in the wake of COVID-19,” according to a news release from the museum. The passes are for a health care worker and a guest. The offer will run through the end of August. The museum near the Virginia-Tennessee line said it plans to resume normal hours of operation. The museum intends to cap the number of people in the building at any time at 100. That includes visitors, staff and volunteers. All three groups will be required to wear face masks while inside the facility. Visitors who don’t bring their own will be provided one at the front desk.
Washington
Seattle: Chris Reykdal, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, said he expects school districts to reopen buildings and return to in-person learning this fall as long as public health guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic allow it. Reykdal and a work group of more than 120 educators, parents, students and community organizations released a 47-page document with new guidance that shows what face-to-face instruction could look like. How and whether schools reopen depends, at least in part, on what phase their county is in as part of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan, The Seattle Times reported. But education officials said schools should plan to resume class in-person. The guidance leaves most decisions up to school districts. Districts that can’t open right away, or bring all students back because of public health concerns, are encouraged to use a combination of distance learning and staggered scheduling. The education department is asking districts to make contingency plans that would allow them to move quickly from in-person instruction to remote learning should cases of the virus surge. Districts should add days to their school calendar in case of emergency short-term building closures, officials said as an example. Districts should also make plans to conduct learning remotely if schools are forced to close again for an extended period, officials wrote.
West Virginia
Clifftop: This summer’s Appalachian String Band Music Festival has been canceled in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History said. The annual five-day camping event included music contests, dancing, arts and crafts and games. It had been set for July 29 to Aug. 2 at Camp Washington-Carver in Clifftop in Fayette County. The decision to cancel was made to lessen the effect of the new coronavirus, the agency said in a news release. The festival usually draws thousands of string band musicians and fans for concerts, dancing, workshops and contests. It will be rescheduled for next year, the department said.
Wisconsin
Milwaukee:With the new coronavirus continuing to spread, Milwaukee County will now require all employees and members of the public who use county facilities to wear a face covering. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley issued a “universal face mask policy” on Tuesday. The policy requires that employees, contractors, vendors, volunteers, service users and members of the public wear face masks when entering county facilities and grounds that have a “controlled entry point.” Masks are recommended but not required at the airport, on buses and in outdoor park spaces including the beer gardens, according to a statement from his office. Face coverings help to mitigate the transmission of virus, which spreads through respiratory droplets. Acceptable face masks can be made of cloth or paper and can be a scarf or bandanna, he said. The county will provide masks for many of the people required to wear one, Crowley said. Children between the ages of 3 and 12 should only wear masks if parents or guardians are monitoring them to make sure they’re worn safely, he said.
Wyoming
Cheyenne: Gov. Mark Gordon announced plans to allow schools to reopen and people to gather in larger numbers indoors despite a surge in coronavirus cases in one county. Meanwhile, University of Wyoming trustees approved plans to resume in-person classes this fall if the school gets $25 million in state funding to offset the cost of guarding against the virus. “Wyoming has made outstanding progress to date,” Gordon said in a statement. “Folks need to remember that it is important to remain vigilant, but because we have been so successful, I am confident we can continue lifting the very few remaining public health restrictions.” Under new public health orders to take effect Monday, up to 250 people will be allowed to gather indoors if they practice social distancing – keeping at least 6 feet apart – and sanitation measures. Up to 50 people will be permitted to gather indoors without such measures. Class-size restrictions will be lifted for childcare facilities. Personal care services will no longer have to be appointment-only.
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