‘Each Day Is Worse’: Surge In Hospitalizations Continues In Arizona, Texas; Florida Doctor Issues Stronger Warning To Younger People

NBC News: Coronavirus Hospitalizations Surge In Arizona, Texas
Coronavirus hospitalizations in Arizona and Texas have hit record numbers as cases continue to surge in states in the South and the West, overwhelming medical professionals. Arizona reported a record high of 3,591 new cases Tuesday, with nearly 60,000 known cases in the state overall. The swell in cases comes as President Donald Trump is set to hold a rally at a Phoenix megachurch Tuesday. (Silva, 6/23)

ABC News: Arizona's New COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Continue To Rise 
As to what's behind Arizona's rise, "it is hard to say with certainty," said Kacey Ernst, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Arizona. While it's possible localized outbreaks in long-term care facilities are driving the numbers, Ernst suspects it's more likely that loosening state restrictions lead to increased community transmission. "Many people equate reopening with being safe," Ernst said. "While there is certainly some uptake of masks and physical distancing, it is not ubiquitous." (Schumaker, 6/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Cases Hit Daily Records In Some U.S. States
On Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that he didn’t want to backtrack on reopening Texas and that residents would need to take it upon themselves to wear masks and practice social distancing. But on Tuesday he urged Texans to take greater precautions, saying people shouldn’t go out unless absolutely necessary. “The safest place for you is at home,” Mr. Abbott said. (Ansari, 6/23)

CNN: Several US States Are Reporting Thousands Of New Coronavirus Cases Each Day 
Officials are making desperate calls on residents to stay home, wear a mask and keep their distance after alarming coronavirus trends have emerged across several US states. California recorded a striking 5,019 new cases on Monday. In Florida, officials announced 3,289 confirmations in a day. And Arizona saw 3,591 new cases in a day. In Texas, health authorities have said new cases and hospitalizations are rising at their fastest rate yet -- a rate that Gov. Greg Abbott called "unacceptable." (Maxouris, 6/24)

NPR: Florida Doctor Urges Young Residents Not To Assume COVID-19 Is 'Benign'
Florida Gov. DeSantis recently announced a dramatic decline in the state's median age for coronavirus patients: from 65 years old in March to 37. Dr. Cheryl Holder, an associate professor at Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University, says that's likely due to older people heeding warnings about how to stay healthy. "It's really basically who gets exposed," Holder tells NPR. "If you look who is staying in and following the guidelines, [it's] older people who are at risk. The older folks got [the message]; the young people, not so much." (Greene, 6/23)

The New York Times: As The Virus Surges In South Florida, A Trump Resort Joins The Rush To Reopen 
Poolside at President Trump’s resort near Miami, dozens of guests sunned last weekend on lounge chairs and chatted in cabanas. Golfers fanned out across multiple courses, and the hotel lobby hummed with activity for the first time in months. But the reopening of Trump National Doral, the most important source of revenue for the president’s strained family business, came as new cases of the coronavirus spiked in surrounding Miami-Dade County and public health officials urged caution about resuming normal activity. (Lipton, Reisner, Eder and Protess, 6/23)

WBUR: Miami-Dade County Mayor Says Masks, Social Distancing Rules Aren't Enough, Enforcement Is Key 
The country’s top infectious disease specialist flagged Florida as a COVID-19 hot spot while speaking before a House committee on Tuesday. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, said he’s seeing a “disturbing spike” in infections across some parts of the country — and that the next few weeks in Florida will be critical. (Hobson. 6/23)

CNN: As Florida Emerges From Shutdown, Covid-19 Cases Surge
As Florida emerges from its coronavirus shutdown, the state is experiencing a surge of Covid-19 cases, with younger Floridians accounting for a significant number of positive tests. The Florida Department of Health reported an additional 3,286 cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the state total to 103,503. (Wood, 6/24)

Boston Globe: Officials Say They Need More Time To Comply With New Disclosure Law On Long-Term Care Deaths 
State public health officials say they need more time to comply with a new law requiring them to provide the precise number of COVID-19 deaths and cases at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other senior residences throughout Massachusetts. The Department of Public Health already has provided limited data about outbreaks at the facilities after pressure from news media, lawmakers, and advocates. A bill sponsored by Representative Ruth Balser, which requires the state to significantly ramp up the reporting for long-term care sites, was passed by the Legislature late last month and signed by Governor Charlie Baker early this month. (Wallack and Weisman, 6/23)

Kaiser Health News: COVID Pandemic Jeopardizes Vote On Oklahoma Medicaid Expansion
Oklahoma residents going to the polls June 30 have the chance to override state leaders’ decadelong refusal to expand Medicaid, which would cover more than 200,000 low-income adults and bring billions of federal dollars into the state. But advocates are concerned that turnout for the summer primary election could be hampered by fears of contracting COVID-19 at voting stations and by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s about-face on the issue. Since the supporters got the measure on the ballot in October, the governor has gone from opposing Medicaid expansion to announcing in January he would institute his own expansion plan beginning July 1 that included work requirements and monthly premiums for enrollees. But he turned around and surprised many in May with a veto of state funding for his own proposal. (Galewitz, 6/24)

NBC News: Amazon Warehouse In Minnesota Had More Than 80 COVID-19 Cases
An Amazon warehouse in Minnesota was the site of a spike in COVID-19 cases, according to newly released data from the Minnesota Department of Health. The warehouse in Shakopee, Minn., had 88 positive cases in about 70 days. It employs about 1,000 people, meaning about 1 in 12 employees contracted the virus. (Garcia-Hodges, Kent and Kaplan, 6/23)

AP: Rural Missouri Pastor: Virus 'Just Started To Sprout Up'
Pastor Joshua Manning is waiting for test results, but he can tell by the persistent fever and body aches that he probably has the coronavirus. His wife and three kids have symptoms, too, and so many members of his Community Baptist Church in tiny Noel, Missouri, are infected that he’s closing the building until things improve. “We did all the things we were supposed to do,” Manning, 41, said. “We shut down for two months. But the cases have just started to sprout up.” (Salter, 6/23)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Eyeing A 2nd Coronavirus Surge, Here’s What Louisiana Doctors Learned From The 1st 'Tsunami' 
When the first case of coronavirus was diagnosed in Louisiana on March 9, doctors had little information about a disease that would soon threaten to overwhelm hospital systems in New Orleans, an early epicenter of the virus. Within a week, hospitals were knocking out windows and putting up plywood to create negative pressure rooms on the fly. (Woodruff, 6/23)

CNN: At Least 17 High School Students Test Positive For Coronavirus After A Trip To Myrtle Beach 
At least 17 Ohio high school students tested positive for coronavirus after a recent trip to Myrtle Beach, when they returned to a county that had previously reduced infection rates to zero. Robert Sproul, Deputy Health Commissioner of the Belmont County Health Department, tells CNN that nearly 100 students from the Ohio Valley traveled to the South Carolina town and returned the weekend of June 13. The trip was not a school sanctioned event. (Kim and Joseph, 6/23)

Boston Globe: Nasal Swabbing Is The New Rhode Island Rite Of Passage 
At this point, more than 20 percent of Rhode Islanders have been tested for COVID-19 — the highest rate in the nation. So while this might be the smallest state, let there be no doubt: We are big on nasal swabbing. (Fitzpatrick, 6/23)

Detroit Free Press and Bridge Magazine: Report Shows Michigan Hospitals Got Less Than Other States In COVID-19 Relief
It was meant to be a financial booster shot, a way to help hospitals and health care systems survive the economic onslaught that COVID-19 brought. But a new report analyzing how federal coronavirus relief money was distributed shows stark disparities in which states got the biggest portions of $175 billion in aid from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. (Shamus and Erb, 6/24)

Reuters: New York City Allows Swimming At Beaches Ahead Of Independence Day Weekend
Beaches in New York City will be open to the public for swimming ahead of Independence Day, after partially being reopened for Memorial Day weekend celebrations last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted late on Tuesday.The mayor confirmed media reports that the city’s beaches would be officially open next week. (6/24)

Boston Globe: Maine Reports 23 New Coronavirus Cases, No Deaths For Sixth Day In A Row 
The Maine Center for Disease Control reported 23 new coronavirus cases and no additional deaths Tuesday afternoon, bringing the statewide case count to 2,994 as the death toll remained at 102. Cumberland and York counties reported the majority of new cases, with 12 cases and six cases, respectively, officials said. Cumberland has reported the highest case tally of the state’s counties with 1,554, followed by York with 472 and Androscoggin with 454. (Berg, 6/23)

AP: Iowa Finds No Violations At Tyson Plant With Deadly Outbreak
Iowa regulators say they found no workplace safety violations at Tyson Foods’ largest pork processing plant, which employed several people who died after contracting the coronavirus. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration closed its inquiry into the Tyson plant in Waterloo earlier this month without sanctioning the meat company. (Foley, 6/24)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Legislation Curbs Many Surprise Medical Bills, Not All
State lawmakers have passed legislation that could protect Georgians with individual insurance policies from massive, unexpected bills after emergency hospital visits. Right now, residents who don’t get their insurance through big employers — and instead buy through the federal marketplace or insurance agents — have little recourse when they wind up with surprises in their bills. (Hart, 6/23)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Senate Greenlights COVID Protections For Georgia Businesses
The Georgia Senate cleared legislation on Tuesday that would shield businesses and health care providers from lawsuits if workers or customers contract COVID-19 at their establishments. House Bill 167, passed on a largely party-line vote of 31-19, would limit legal liability for companies unless they engage in “gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct or intentional infliction of harm.” (Hallerman, 6/23)

Albuquerque Journal: Bernalillo County Detox Goes Into Quarantine 
The Bernalillo County CARE Campus has temporarily stopped accepting clients and initiated quarantine measures after discovering a recently discharged detox client is at “potential risk” for COVID-19. The client started the detox program on June 19 and was asymptomatic during their three-day stay, according to a county news release. (Dyer, 6/23)

In other state news —

The New York Times: Head Of NY Planned Parenthood, Laura McQuade, Ousted After Staff Complaints 
Facing mounting complaints about abusive behavior and unfair treatment of black staff members, the chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, Laura McQuade, has been ousted from her job. The organization’s board of directors had supported Ms. McQuade as recently as last week. On Tuesday, however, the group reversed course, sending an email to staff members saying the board had “parted ways” with her the previous day. (Otterman, 6/23)

Detroit Free Press: University Of Michigan, Victims Of Sports Doctor To Enter Mediation
The University of Michigan and potentially hundreds of victims of former university doctor Robert Anderson will enter mediation in September, according to discussions held in federal court Tuesday. A federal judge also ordered a law firm hired by U-M to run an independent investigation outside of the lawsuit process to show up in her courtroom to discuss their investigation. (Jesse, 6/23)

State House News: Hunger Strike Launched In Effort To Change Name Of Faneuil Hall 
Boston-based New Democracy Coalition founder Kevin Peterson started a fast Monday, escalating a long-running effort to change the name of Faneuil Hall, which was named for a wealthy merchant who was an owner and trader of slaves. Peterson’s demand: that Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh identify a date to plan citywide hearings on changing the name. Through a spokesperson, the mayor had no comment. (Norton, 6/23)

Modern Healthcare: Beaumont Reduces Bed Count By 86 At One Hospital, Transfers Some To Other Facilities
Beaumont Health plans to downsize Beaumont Wayne by 86 beds, transfer 10 of those beds to its Beaumont Troy hospital, 22 to its main campus in Royal Oak and delicense the remaining 54 beds on June 30, according to an internal Beaumont email obtained by Crain's Detroit Business. The moves will have a small impact on staffing at Wayne but will save Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont an unspecified amount of money and most likely will lead to higher revenue at the Troy and Royal Oak hospitals because it will be able to admit an increased number of patients over time, two healthcare experts told Crain's. (Greene, 6/23)