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Coronavirus Updates: WHO Warns Of Pandemic's "New And Dangerous Phase"

By

Elizabeth Kim

Published Jun 19, 2020

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Street art depicting Dr. Anthony Fauci as Spock from Star Trek, with the words "Wash Up" on one hand

 

Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock

By

Elizabeth Kim

Published Jun 19, 2020

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This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Friday, June 19th, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.

New York City is in Phase 1 of reopening now. Here's a look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.

Here's the latest:

2:15 p.m. Noting an unprecedented daily rise in cases, the World Health Organization issued a serious warning on Friday about the coronavirus pandemic and called on countries to "exercise extreme vigilance" even as many are reopening and relaxing restrictions.

More than 150,000 new coronavirus cases were reported on Thursday, the most in a single day. Half of the new cases were from the Americas, but large case totals were also being seen in South Asia and the Middle East.

“The world is in a new and dangerous phase,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO during the agency's press briefing.

He added: “Many people are understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably eager to open up their societies and their economies. But the virus is still spreading fast. It is still deadly and most people are still susceptible.”

Worldwide, more than 8.5 million people have been infected with the virus, and at least 456,881 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The United States has the most virus infections of any country, with more than 2.1 million recorded cases and at least 118,758 deaths. As of Thursday, the seven-day average of new cases in the U.S. increased more than 15 percent compared with a week ago.

Experts in other countries have been bewildered by the way American leaders have handled the pandemic by reopening aggressively and ignoring the advice of scientists, according to the Washington Post.

“It really does feel like the U.S. has given up,” Siouxsie Wiles, an infectious-diseases specialist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, told the Post.

Cuomo Gives Last Daily Virus Briefing From His Executive Office

12:15 p.m. To mark the end to his consecutive daily coronavirus briefings, Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered a state of the union-style speech from his executive office.

Absent were his staff members as well as the press corps, who he thanked on Thursday. Altogether the governor has held 111 back-to-back press conferences on the virus, appearing on weekends and holidays. On Wednesday, he said that he would end the daily briefings and instead do them on an as-needed basis.

From a data perspective, the virus is not longer as urgent a threat as it once was. Having once embodied the epicenter of a global pandemic, New York now has the lowest infection rate in the country, with the highest per capita testing capacity of any state or country. Of 79,000 tests performed statewide on Thursday, less than 1 percent were positive. The number of total hospitalizations, which have been steadily declining, fell to 1,284. New deaths have also dropped, to an average of 25 per day.

"We've done the impossible," Cuomo said, during the roughly 10-minute long address.

As he has in recent weeks, he once again warned about watching for a second wave as well as the alarming pattern of increasing cases from other states. New York City is poised on Monday to enter phase two of the reopening, what could be a critical test for the legions of quarantine-weary New Yorkers who are already slipping from the regimen of mask wearing and social distancing.

Still, the speech felt very much like a victory lap for the three-term Democratic governor who has astutely seized the national spotlight to portray himself as a competent and moral leader in contrast to President Donald Trump.

Despite criticisms that the state did not act fast and effectively enough to stem the spread of the virus, he claimed that the state had saved the lives of 100,000 people. To date, the state has recorded 24,686 deaths, a number that still does not measure the true toll by including probable deaths.

The virus has also wrung an unprecedented economic toll, with nearly 2.7 million New Yorkers filing for unemployment since March 21. How the economy can rebound, especially without further federal stimulus aid, is an open question.

"In this crisis we were united," Cuomo said. "We did act as one."

California Issues Mask Order, Trump Defies Public Health Experts To Hold Rally In Oklahoma

California, the country's largest state, will now require its residents to wear face masks in most indoor settings and outside in public when they are unable to socially distance at least six feet from another person.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the order on Thursday after the state reported a record high of more than 4,000 new cases in one day. Also, as of Wednesday more than 3,400 people were hospitalized for covid, the highest number since April. California is one of many states experiencing a disturbing uptick in infections as they reopen their economies.

“Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered — putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease,” Newsom said in a statement. “California’s strategy to restart the economy and get people back to work will only be successful if people act safely and follow health recommendations. That means wearing a face covering, washing your hands and practicing physical distancing.”

Newsom had previously allowed local governments to make the decision on masks, which resulted in sharp community debate. On June 11th, the Orange County health officer rescinded the mandate for masks, making it a recommendation instead.

New York has had a statewide mask or face covering order in place since April 17th.

Meanwhile, despite the concerns of local and national public health officials, President Donald Trump is forging ahead with his plan to hold a campaign rally on Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event will be held at BOK Center, an arena in the city's downtown that can seat 19,000 people.

Oklahoma on Thursday saw 450 cases, a record high for one day, and up from 259 on Wednesday.

On Thursday, people were already lining up outside the venue to see the president in his first large-scale rally since the pandemic started. Trump himself has eschewed wearing a mask and many of his supporters have followed suit.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s most prominent infectious-disease expert, has spoken about the risks of assembling in large groups and urged people who do so to wear masks. Tulsa officials have advised people against attending the mass gathering. A group of Tulsa residents and business owners, have gone even further, suing the venue manager to cancel the rally unless it adheres to social distancing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The case is currently being heard by the state Supreme Court.

In a statement published by the Washington Post, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh defended the rally, invoking the recent protests over police violence.

“We’ve received a letter from arena management and we’re reviewing it. We take safety seriously, which is why we’re doing temperature checks for everyone attending, and providing masks and hand sanitizer. This will be a Trump rally, which means a big, boisterous, excited crowd. We don’t recall the media shaming demonstrators about social distancing — in fact the media were cheering them on.”

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, appearing at a roundtable at the White House on Thursday, voiced his support for the the event, saying "it's just going to be amazing.”

“Oklahoma is ready for your visit,” Stitt said. “It’s going to be safe, and we’re really, really excited.”

Tagged

covid-19 updates

coronavirus

Elizabeth Kim

Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]

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