Coronavirus Watch: Two Florida counties under curfew
Things aren't looking so good in Florida. The state reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases for the sixth time in seven days Friday, and officials imposed curfews in two South Florida counties.
Earlier this week, Florida's former top coronavirus data scientist filed a whistleblower complaint against the Health Department, accusing the agency of firing her in retaliation for refusing to manipulate data to support the push to reopen Florida after months of quarantine.
What went wrong in Florida? We break it down for you here.
It's Saturday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's the most significant news of the day, as of 1:45 p.m. ET:
- Iran’s president Saturday estimated as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected with the coronavirus since the outbreak's beginning.
- Only one U.S. state has not seen a single COVID-19- related death in the past 30 days: Vermont.
- Nevada's largest labor union says COVID-19 has killed 22 Culinary Union members, including their spouses or dependents.
- Another retailing heavyweight weighed in on the national mask-wearing issue: Home Depot will now require all shoppers wear them.
- Today's numbers: The U.S. has more than 3.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, and more than 139,000 deaths have been confirmed, according to John Hopkins University data. Worldwide, there are more than 14.1 million confirmed cases, and more than 597,000 people have died. See the numbers in your area here, and check out where cases are rising here.
Share your back-to-school coronavirus story: How are you preparing for school reopening? Paste BN is teaming up with Corona Diaries to hear your stories.
Do you have questions about the coronavirus? You can submit them through this form, and we'll answer them. Roberta from Michigan asks: Some states have mandated masks when in public places. What is considered a public place?
The majority of states have issued statewide mask mandates, and most include face mask requirements for "any place open to the public," including inside or when entering businesses, public transportation or ride-shares. Many states specifically order businesses to require their customers to wear face masks. See the specific requirements in your state here.
Even in cities and states without mask mandates, many businesses – including Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and Kroger – are issuing their own requirements.
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– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck