In Midwest Tour, Birx Urges People To Protect One Another

AP: In Oklahoma Visit, Birx Continues To Push For Wearing Masks
A top White House coronavirus adviser continued to press Sunday for people to cover their faces and to social distance to fight the global pandemic during a stop in Oklahoma, where Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has resisted imposing a statewide mask order. Dr. Deborah Birx led the roundtable discussion at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa. The meeting was closed to journalists, but state and local officials who attended told the Tulsa World that Birx was unwavering on the necessity for masks and distancing in public. (8/17)

In news from New York —

The New York Times: N.Y. Gyms And Fitness Studios Can Reopen As Soon As Aug. 24, Cuomo Says 
Gyms in New York, which have remained shuttered for months even as the state made progress in fighting the coronavirus, will be allowed to open again as soon as Aug. 24 and no later than Sept. 2, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday. Mr. Cuomo’s announcement came with several caveats: Gyms would be limited to a third of their total capacity, and people would be required to wear masks at all times. The state would also require air filters that help prevent airborne transmission of viral particles and sign-in forms to assist with contact-tracing efforts.Local governments will also need to inspect gyms to make sure they meet the state’s requirements before they open or within two weeks of their opening. Local elected officials can stop gyms from holding indoor classes, Mr. Cuomo said. New York City has decided not to initially allow indoor fitness classes or indoor pools to operate when gyms reopen, a spokesman for the mayor said. (Gold and Ferre-Sadurni, 8/17)

The New York Times: Can NY Hold Off A Second Coronavirus Wave? 
Health experts in New York City thought that coronavirus cases would be rising again by now. Their models predicted it. They were wrong. New York State has managed not only to control its outbreak since the devastation of the early spring, but also to contain it for far longer than even top officials expected. (Goodman, 8/17)

In news from the Mid-Atlantic, Rhode Island, Louisiana and Iowa —

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Invaded The District And Maryland Multiple Times In March, Genetic Analysis Shows
The coronavirus’s late-winter attack on the national capital region came from multiple, separate introductions, and the pathogen quickly spread among people who had not traveled outside the region recently or had known contact with infected people, according to a genetic analysis of virus samples from more than 100 patients. The study, from Johns Hopkins University scientists, highlights the challenge in preventing the arrival and spread of the highly contagious virus within a region that anchors the Northeast Corridor and boasts three international airports and a highly mobile population. (Achenbach, 8/17)

AP: More Than 200 New Cases, 2 Coronavirus Deaths Over 3 Days
There were 237 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and two additional deaths in Rhode Island over the past three days, the state Department of Health announced Monday. There have now been more than 20,500 known cases of the disease and 1,023 virus-related fatalities in the state. (8/17)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Coronavirus Jail Will Cost $9.3 Million Under Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman's Plan, FEMA Says 
Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s plan to renovate a vacant jail building to house incarcerated people with coronavirus will cost a total of $9.3 million, including $2.3 million in local taxpayer money, the Federal Emergency Management Administration said this week. The money would be spent transforming 125 cells in the building -- which a federal judge described five years ago as an unsafe shambles -- into housing for recent detainees and those with confirmed cases of the virus. (Sledge, 8/14)

The Washington Post: ‘Iowa’s Katrina’: Help Is Slow To Come For Storm-Battered State, Local Officials And Residents Say
A week after a devastating wind storm ripped through a swath of the Midwest, thousands in Iowa remain without power, corn and soybean plants lie bent and broken in the fields, and anger is rising among residents who say state officials and Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds did not seek aid quickly enough in the powerful storm’s aftermath. Hurricane-force winds gusting up to 112 mph in the rare derecho storm flattened 37 million acres of crops and damaged many homes and businesses, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Gowen and Stead Sellers, 8/17)

In news from Western states —

AP: 7th Texas Execution Delayed As Attorneys Cite Pandemic
A seventh scheduled execution of a Texas death row inmate has been delayed after his attorneys raised concerns over the state’s coronavirus outbreak.John Henry Ramirez, 36, had been set for a Sept. 9 execution for the 2004 stabbing death of Pablo Castro, a 45-year-old Corpus Christi convenience store worker. Authorities say Castro was stabbed after a robbery that netted just $1.25. In his motion asking for the delay, Kretzer had cited the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for the delay, arguing that putting people together in the execution chamber could pose a health risk. (8/17)

The Washington Post: First U.S. Cases Of Coronavirus In Mink Found At Utah Fur Farms 
Mink at two Utah fur farms have tested positive for the virus that causes covid-19 in humans, the Department of Agriculture said Monday, announcing the first U.S. cases in a species that has been widely culled in Europe following outbreaks there. Employees at the farms in Utah, the second-largest producer of mink pelts used for coats and other luxury items, also tested positive for the coronavirus, the USDA said. Dean Taylor, Utah’s state veterinarian, told reporters Monday that state and federal agencies are conducting additional testing to determine whether the mink were infected by humans or vice versa, and whether mink at other farms are sick. (Brulliard, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: California Blackouts A Warning For States Ramping Up Green Power 
Millions of Californians could lose power in coming days, the state’s grid operator warned Monday, as it continues to struggle with inadequate electricity supplies as many people have been forced indoors to ride out a crippling heat wave during the coronavirus pandemic. The rolling blackouts across California serve as a cautionary tale as states across the country increase renewable energy and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels that can generate round-the-clock power but contribute to climate change. (Blunt, 8/17)

CNN: Plague Case In South Lake Tahoe Is The First Confirmed In California In 5 Years 
A South Lake Tahoe resident has been diagnosed with the plague, marking the first human case in California since 2015. Health officials believe the person may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking their dog in the area, according to a press release from the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency. The infected person is recovering at home under the care of a medical professional, the release said. (Silverman, 8/18)