Upswing In Cases, Hospitalizations Spark Talk Of A Second Wave, But U.S. Is Still In The First One

NPR: Coronavirus 2nd Wave? Nope, The U.S. Is Still Stuck In The 1st One
Just weeks after parts of the U.S. began reopening, coronavirus infections are on the upswing in several states, including Arizona, Utah, Texas and Florida. Dramatic increases in daily case counts have given rise to some unsettling questions: Is the U.S. at the start of a second wave? Have states reopened too soon? And have the recent widespread demonstrations against racial injustice inadvertently added fuel to the fire? The short, unpleasant answer to the first question is that the U.S. has not even gotten through the current first wave of infections. (Aizenman, 6/12)

Reuters: Record Spikes In New Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations Sweep Parts Of U.S.
New coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in record numbers swept through more U.S. states, including Florida and Texas, as most push ahead with reopening and President Donald Trump plans an indoor rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Alabama reported a record number of new cases for the fourth day in a row on Sunday. Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Carolina all had record numbers of new cases in the past three days, according to a Reuters tally. (Shumaker, 6/14)

Reuters: U.S. CDC Warns That Restrictions May Be Needed Again If COVID-19 Cases Spike
U.S. health officials on Friday urged Americans to continue adhering to social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures, and warned that states may need to reimpose strict restrictions if COVID-19 cases spike. In recent weeks, experts have raised concerns that the reopening of the U.S. economy could lead to a fresh wave of infections. About half a dozen states, including Texas and Arizona, are grappling with a rising number of coronavirus patients filling hospital beds. (Joseph and O'Donnell, 6/12)

CNN: Why A Second Covid-19 Shutdown Might Be Worse Than The First -- And How To Prevent It
It's an outcome no one wants, but could become a "harsh reality": a second wave of shutdowns. Weeks after lifting stay-at-home orders, some states are seeing record numbers of hospitalizations from Covid-19 as thousands more Americans get infected every day. "We're going to have to face the harsh reality in some states that we may need to shut down again," said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University School of Medicine. (Yan, 6/15)

The New York Times: Coronavirus Cases Spike Across Sun Belt As Economy Lurches Into Motion
The warning has echoed ominously for weeks from epidemiologists, small-town mayors and county health officials: Once states begin to reopen, a surge in coronavirus cases will follow. That scenario is now playing out in states across the country, particularly in the Sun Belt and the West, as thousands of Americans have been sickened by the virus in new and alarming outbreaks. Hospitals in Arizona have been urged to activate emergency plans to cope with a flood of coronavirus patients. On Saturday, Florida saw its largest single-day count of cases since the pandemic began. (Bosman and Smith, 6/14)

NPR: Health Experts Link Rise In Arizona Coronavirus Cases To End Of Stay-At-Home Order
With new daily coronavirus cases rising in at least two dozen states, an explosion of new infections in Arizona is stretching some hospitals and alarming public health experts who link the surge in cases to the state's lifting of a stay-at-home order close to a month ago. Arizona has emerged as one of the country's newest coronavirus hot spots, with the weekly average of daily cases nearly tripling from two weeks ago. The total number of people hospitalized is climbing, too. (Stone, 6/14)

Politico: Summer Setback: Cities Put Brakes On Reopening As Virus Spikes Again
Sharp spikes in coronavirus cases are prompting governors and mayors in Oregon, Utah and Tennessee to pause reopening plans, while officials in Houston and elsewhere are warning of the potential need for new restrictions. The moves could be a harbinger of more slowdowns to come, with coronavirus infections and hospitalizations rising in more than a dozen states since Memorial Day weekend. But most state and local leaders have so far been reluctant to halt reopenings or reimpose restrictions, worried about further damaging economies or aggravating shutdown-fatigued residents. President Donald Trump and administration officials have meanwhile urged states to keep moving forward. (Goldberg, Ollstein and Roubein, 6/12)

Reuters: U.S. CDC Reports 2,063,812 Coronavirus Cases
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 2,063,812 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 25,468 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 646 to 115,271. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on June 13 versus its previous report on Saturday. (6/14)

CIDRAP: CDC Director Thanks Americans, But Warns COVID-19 Pandemic Is Far From Over
Robert Redfield, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) thanked Americans today for being "selfless" 6 months into the nation's continued fight against COVID-19. The comments were made during the agency's first media briefing on the coronavirus in several weeks. At the start of the pandemic, the CDC held weekly briefs on the growing outbreak, but since March has remained mostly silent as the agency continues to work to track the virus' course across the country. (Soucheray, 6/12)

The Associated Press: As NYC Awakens, Navigating A Strange New Normal
The New-York City that was lingers everywhere in the New York City that is, like flashes of movement out of the corner of your eye. The subways run, but not all hours, and definitely not with anywhere near as many riders. Your favorite corner deli has your bagel and coffee — as long as you take it to go and wear a mask to get it. Go enjoy the sunshine in a park, but too many other people better not have the same idea. It begs the question: Who do we become when we can’t be who we were? (Hajela, 6/14)

The Washington Post: Lured By Sunny Weather, D.C. Residents Spill Outside, Masks And Social Distancing At Times Forgotten 
Almost every day since the weather began to warm, Tony Ponte had driven his taxi past the volleyball courts near the Lincoln Memorial, hoping to see the players he befriended across years of watching games. No dice, for several long and boring weeks, until Sunday morning — when Ponte, 67, spotted five men in their late 40s and mid 50s shouting, panting and scrambling in the sand. None of the players paid any attention to the sign, tied to one of the metal net posts, that declared “Volleyball Courts Closed” to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. None of them wore masks. (Natanson, 6/14)

The Associated Press: Some Tribes Reopen Their Casinos Despite State Opposition
Drivers heading down state roads leading to Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut are greeted by flashing warnings: “Avoid Large Crowds” and “Don’t Gamble With COVID.” Despite having authority to shutter thousands of businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has been constrained when dealing with the sovereign tribal nations that own two of the world’s largest casinos. (Haigh, 6/15)

The Washington Post: As Coronavirus Cases Climb, Some Local Officials Put Reopening On Hold
A rise in coronavirus cases is spurring leaders in some cities and states to delay reopening additional businesses and warn that a return to stricter shutdown orders is possible should cases continue to climb. White House guidelines for reopening called for states to reevaluate after each phase and move backward if the virus spreads. Nationwide, few officials have publicly done so, and states with rapidly increasing caseloads and hospitalizations are moving forward with reopening amid political and economic pressure to return to normal. Increased testing in some states has contributed to the uptick. (Weiner, 6/12)

CNN: US Coronavirus: New York Could Roll Back Reopening If Restrictions Violated, Gov. Cuomo Says 
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned people on Sunday that high violations of Covid-19 restrictions could cause the state to roll back its reopening. Once the US epicenter of the pandemic, New York state has made a major turnaround as much of it edges towards fully reopening, with just 23 deaths announced Sunday. At a news conference, Cuomo praised the "achievement by New Yorkers" but said the numbers could change in a week. "It is our behavior, nothing more nothing less," that determines the future of reopening, he said. (Karimi, Sgueglia and Cullinane, 6/14)

CBS News: Cuomo Says Bars And Restaurants Will Lose Their Liquor License If There Are Crowds 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that he would revoke the liquor licenses of bars and restaurants that have large crowds that are in violation of coronavirus restrictions. There were multiple videos that went viral showing crowded bars and restaurants over the weekend, and Cuomo even tweeted "don't make me come down there" on Saturday in reaction to one video of bar patrons seen in Manhattan's East Village. (Linton, 6/14)

ABC News: Florida Sees 2 Consecutive Days Of 2,000-Plus New COVID-19 Cases As More Beaches Reopen 
Florida reported record levels of new COVID-19 cases this weekend as more beaches reopened in the Sunshine State. On Sunday, the Florida Department of Health reported its second consecutive day of more than 2,000 new daily cases, with 2,016. On Saturday, it reported a daily record of 2,581. The records come as the state continued its phased reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the state is now in Phase 2 of Gov. Ron DeSantis' reopening plan, which allowed bars, movie theaters and tattoo parlors to reopen on June 5 with restrictions. (Deliso, 6/14)

CBS News: Texas Records Its Highest Number Of COVID-19 Hospitalizations So Far In Outbreak 
The number of people in Texas hospitalized from the coronavirus hit a record high of 2,287 on Sunday, an increase from the previous record of 2,242 cases on Saturday. The state has continued to move forward with its reopening plan, with restaurants being allowed to increase capacity to 75% and almost all businesses allowed to operate with 50% capacity on Friday. (Linton, 6/14)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Reports 1,003 More Coronavirus Cases, 17 Deaths
Los Angeles County public health officials Sunday reported 1,003 new cases of the coronavirus and 17 related deaths. The county now has recorded more than 73,000 cases of the virus, and more than 2,900 people have died. The number of new cases reported by the county each day has continued to rise, topping 1,000 each day last week except for Monday, when case counts are usually lower due to decreased weekend testing. (Wigglesworth, 6/14)

Los Angeles Times: Vernon Has More Coronavirus Cases Than Residents
Inside the home of the famed Dodger Dog, Pedro Albarran watched with alarm as his colleagues stood at the meatpacking line shoulder-to-shoulder, unmasked, amid the coronavirus pandemic. People started coughing. Then, one by one, they disappeared from their places in the line. Sure enough, the virus was circulating at the Farmer John plant in the city of Vernon, sickening at least 165 workers as of June 2, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (Reyes-Velarde and Rector, 6/14)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Hospital Reports A Major Coronavirus Outbreak 
More than three dozen workers connected with a single unit at St. Rose Hospital in Hayward tested positive for the coronavirus in late May, a spokesman disclosed Friday. Of the hospital’s 780 employees, 37 tested positive and a majority (26) were workers on the same medical/surgical/telemetry unit. Two additional workers who had the virus interacted regularly with that part of the hospital and nine had occasional contact. (Moench, 6/13)

Dallas Morning News: Dallas County Reports Record Number Of New Coronavirus Cases For Third Day In A Row
Dallas County reported 328 new coronavirus cases Friday, setting a daily record for the third consecutive day. The county also reported three more deaths from the virus: three men, all in their 60s, from Garland, Irving and Richardson. There have been 13,585 cases of COVID-19 and 280 deaths in Dallas County, which does not report a number of recoveries. (Jones, 6/12)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Coastal Georgia Experiencing Rise In Coronavirus Cases
Chatham County, home to Savannah, Tybee Island and many other popular coastal Georgia attractions, has seen a jump in the number of coronavirus cases reported. A 700-case jump came between April 29 and the present, a time during which coastal beaches were flooded with Memorial Day revelers and protests over the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. (Darnell, 6/12)