Sports paused, sorority party canceled, curfews eyed: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Tuscaloosa: A University of Alabama sorority canceled plans for a city-approved party for as many as 600 people following complaints that the huge outdoor bash could spread the new coronavirus as the pandemic worsens nationwide. The Kappa Delta sorority called off its “Farm Party” on Tuesday, hours before the six-hour event was scheduled to begin at a 14-acre site with buses ferrying students to the gathering. The cancellation came after days of complaints and soon after The Daily Beast published a story about the gathering. More than 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus have been added daily over the past week across Alabama as hospitals treat more and more people suffering from COVID-19. Despite the increase, the Tuscaloosa City Council voted 4-2 on Nov. 10 to approve a license that would have allowed for alcohol to be served at the party. Partygoers would be expected to comply with health requirements including masks, and precautions including social distancing recommendations, temperature checks and frequent cleaning would be employed, organizers said.

Alaska

Anchorage: The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported the state has lost more than 3,000 jobs in the oil and gas industry since January because of the coronavirus pandemic and falling prices. Experts said because oil prices are now stagnant, it’s not clear when the jobs may return, Alaska Public Media reports. The demand for oil plummeted in the spring as the virus shut down cities. That was coupled with a price war leading to a surplus of oil on the global market. A key benchmark for oil prices then fell into negative territory for the first time. Labor department data shows there were an estimated 6,900 jobs in Alaska’s oil and gas industry in September, down from 10,000 in January. Job numbers haven’t been so low in more than 30 years, Alaska Public Media reports.

Arizona

Phoenix: The state’s COVID-19 cases are continuing to rise with over 3,000 newly confirmed cases and more than 50 additional deaths. The state Department of Health Services on Wednesday tallied 3,206 new cases and 53 more deaths. Arizona now has seen a case total of 283,102 and a death toll of 6,365. According to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, the number of hospitalizations is now on par to where it was in June with 1,700 patients. Those include nearly 400 people in intensive care unit beds. The state had approximately 3,500 hospitalizations on a daily basis in mid-July during the peak of last summer’s surge but fewer than 500 some days in late September before the latest rise started. Health officials have said the state’s recent surge is tied to factors including businesses and schools reopening and public fatigue with precautions such as mask-wearing.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The state’s top health official and a White House task force on Tuesday warned the state is on the verge of a rapid rise in coronavirus cases, while Gov. Asa Hutchinson rejected the panel’s call to significantly scale back restaurants’ indoor capacity in most of the state. An outbreak among state lawmakers also continued to grow to 12, with a state representative testing positive for the virus. Dr. Jose Romero, the state’s health secretary, issued dire warnings about the state, where COVID-19 hospitalizations continued surging to record-high numbers. “This is like a boulder rolling down a hill. There will come a time where we cannot stop it,” Romero said. “It will continue to escalate and will eventually overwhelm our health care facilities.” Romero’s comments echoed a report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which said the state “is on the precipice of a rapid, accelerating increase in cases which will be followed with new hospital admissions.”

California

Los Angeles: Los Angeles County imposed new restrictions on businesses Tuesday and is readying plans for a mandatory curfew for all but essential workers if coronavirus cases keep spiking. The county of 10 million residents – the nation’s most populous – has seen daily confirmed cases more than double in the past two weeks to nearly 2,900. Hospitalizations have topped 1,100, a rise of 30% in that period. The county, which for most of the pandemic has had a disproportionately large share of California’s cases, issued new restrictions ordering nonessential retail businesses to limit indoor capacity to 25% and restaurants to 50% capacity outdoors. Restaurants already are not allowed to serve customers indoors. All those businesses must close at 10 p.m. The changes take effect Friday. Additionally, services at salons and other personal care businesses may only be provided by appointment and customers, and staff must wear face coverings. Services such as facials that require customers to remove their face coverings are not permitted. All gatherings must be outdoors and limited to 15 people from no more than three households.

Colorado

Denver: Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday called a special legislative session to craft a $220 million COVID-19 stimulus package to aid bars, restaurants, tenants, landlords and students. The proposed package includes sales tax relief for restaurants and bars hit hard by capacity limits, funds for child care providers, rental assistance for tenants and landlords, and internet access expansion for students and teachers, Polis said. He cited inaction in Washington on a new coronavirus relief package as one reason for the session. As the state experiences “exponential growth” in new coronavirus cases, with more than 1,300 patients hospitalized, officials are avoiding a full lockdown order, Polis said. Instead, he said, between 10 and 15 counties, including Denver, will enter a “red phase” in the coming days, which means indoor dining and bars will close, and gyms will be limited to 10% capacity. The state has also added a “purple phase” to its COVID-19 dial, which takes into account new cases, positivity rates for testing and hospital capacity. The purple level indicates a county has reached or exceeded its hospital capacity, affecting the quality of care for all hospital patients. None of Colorado’s 64 counties have reached this threshold, but Polis said hospitals are “starting to get stressed.”

Connecticut

Hartford: The commissioner of the state’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has tested positive for the coronavirus. Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon said in a statement that her symptoms are mild, and she is isolating at home. “I have had limited face-to-face contact with co-workers due to teleworking and I have been in daily contact with the team at DMHAS,” she said in a Tuesday night release. “I am grateful my colleagues in the office have not been exposed.” Delphin-Rittmon is among 160 employees at the department to come down with COVID-19 since March. That is in addition to 87 people living in eight facilities run by the department. There have been 136 cases at Connecticut Valley Hospital, the state-run psychiatric hospital in Middletown. That includes 69 staff members who have tested positive and 67 patients living at the facility. Gov. Ned Lamont remained in quarantine at home Wednesday after his communications director, Max Reiss, tested positive for the virus last week.

Delaware

Wilmington: The state will soon limit indoor gatherings to 10 people and indoor dining at restaurants to no more than 30% capacity. Gov. John Carney announced the latest round of restrictions Tuesday in response to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. The new rules go into effect at 8 a.m. Monday. The state is also restricting event venues, including weddings, places of worship, performances, political meetings and funerals. Starting Monday, those venues won’t be allowed to host indoor gatherings at more than 30% capacity. At restaurants, which will still be allowed to have outdoor seating, diners indoors will be required to wear masks until the food is served and whenever servers approach the table. Outdoor gatherings will also be limited to 50 people, though up to 250 people are allowed if it’s preapproved by the Delaware Division of Public Health. Starting two weeks from now, interstate youth sports will also be banned.

District of Columbia

Washington: With Moderna releasing positive preliminary results of its COVID-19 vaccine’s efficacy, D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh shared Tuesday that she is participating in the clinical trial through the National Institutes of Health, WUSA-TV reports. Cheh said participants are not told whether they received the placebo or vaccine. However, she and a friend in the trial have experienced symptoms after both injections. “We both had aches and pains, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, great fatigue ... whoa, it was something,” Cheh said. She said the effects dissipated after about 36 hours. “I’m taking it not just for myself. It’s for others,” she said. “This is something we have to do collectively to defeat this thing.” A self-described “scaredy-cat,” the councilmember said she was nervous at first to sign up for the clinical trial. But she thought taking the vaccine trial was one small way she could help. “I wanted to be part of something to help us get out of this mess which we’re in,” Cheh said. “And, fingers crossed, I hope we can do that sooner than later.”

Florida

Miami: State health officials have reported a steady increase in the number of new coronavirus cases each day over the past month and a half, though the numbers are nowhere near the peak in July. A seven-day average of nearly 6,300 new COVID-19 cases was reported Tuesday, according to Florida Department of Health statistics. That’s up from early October, when the seven-day average for new cases was about 2,200. In mid-July, the state reported a seven-day average of nearly 11,700 new cases. A total of 897,323 people have contracted the virus in Florida, according to state records. The state also tallied another 86 deaths Tuesday. Since the start of the pandemic, 17,861 people in Florida have died from the virus. The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in Florida hospitals has also risen in recent weeks. The state’s online census of hospitals showed numbers hovering between 2,000 and 2,200 for most of last month, but on Tuesday, there were 3,369 coronavirus patients in hospitals.

Georgia

Atlanta: The state’s current COVID-19 situation only looks good when compared to other states where coronavirus infections are climbing even more steeply. Georgia passed 9,000 confirmed and probable deaths with new deaths reported Tuesday, with the average number of deaths recorded rising in recent weeks. The number of people hospitalized with the respiratory illness has risen more than 40% in the past five weeks. The state ranks 47th among the states for new cases per capita in the past 14 days. But the numbers of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths are all climbing significantly in Georgia. That’s especially true once positive results from rapid antigen tests are included in the state’s case totals, as advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state now has 430,000 cases when those confirmed through molecular tests and those suspected by antigen tests are combined.

Hawaii

Honolulu: An island mayor is asking Gov. David Ige to consider new rules that would make a second coronavirus test mandatory for all arriving travelers to Kauai and require that everyone has an initial negative test before flying. Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami made a similar request in October when the state launched its pre-travel testing program that allows travelers to skip two weeks of quarantine if they get a single negative test within 72 hours of their trip to Hawaii. Now Kawakami wants to mandate that all air travelers get a second test three days after they arrive. They would have to remain in quarantine on Kauai during that time. Ige denied Kawakami’s first request for mandatory second tests in October. The governor’s office said the governor was reviewing the new request Tuesday and had no further comment.

Idaho

Boise: Doctors serving Idaho and eastern Oregon spent hours Tuesday trying to sway health districts, city leaders and the public to do more to stop the spread of coronavirus, warning that rationed care is looming in Idaho’s future. But in one public health department, they were met with debunked conspiracy theories and skepticism. It all came on a day when the state saw record-high numbers of new coronavirus cases and COVID-19 deaths, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: Thirty-five people died of COVID-19 on Tuesday, and 1,781 new cases were reported. Idaho is experiencing severe and unchecked community spread of COVID-19 in much of the state, with more than 85,000 cases statewide and a positivity rate that has increased by nearly 42% in the past two weeks. There were nearly 1,000 new cases reported for every 100,000 residents in the past two weeks, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University. Unless the community “radically changes,” the number of COVID-19 patients in southwestern Idaho hospitals will double by Christmas and triple by mid-January, Dr. Steven Nemerson with Saint Alphonsus Health Center told Boise Mayor Lauren McLean. “And that’s when we begin to take care of patients in areas of the building that are not used for traditional care – things like conference rooms,” Nemerson said.

Illinois

Springfield: Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday that include capping crowds in retail stores and temporarily closing museums and casinos. The latest rules, which take effect Friday, come as infections and hospitalizations continue to soar. Illinois on Tuesday logged 12,601 new cases and 97 additional deaths. Under the newly announced restrictions, retail stores must lower customer capacity to 25% from the current 50%, though grocery stores will be excluded and can operate at 50% capacity. Gyms will also be capped at 25%, and indoor classes will no longer be allowed. The first-term Democrat stopped short of a stay-at-home order, calling it a last resort. The entire state was under such an order for six weeks last spring at the onset of the virus. “If these numbers don’t start to curve,” he said, “then it is clear that we’re going to have to take more difficult measures and go to a stay-at-home order.”

Indiana

Indianapolis: Nearly a quarter of the state’s counties are now listed in the highest-risk category of coronavirus spread, and Wednesday’s update from the health department showed a 60% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in just two weeks. Health officials also reported 60 more coronavirus deaths, with those added to Sunday’s total making it Indiana’s single deadliest COVID-19 day since the pandemic first hit the state in March. The health department listed 21 of Indiana’s 92 counties in the highest of its four risk levels for coronavirus spread, up from nine counties in the red level last week. Those additional red-level counties include northwestern Indiana’s Lake County, the state’s second-most populous, and Fort Wayne’s Allen County. Gov. Eric Holcomb went into quarantine Tuesday after possible coronavirus exposure. Holcomb cited concerns about the steep increase in COVID-19 patients straining hospital capacity as he announced the reinstatement of crowd limits based on county risk levels last week. Indiana hospitals were treating 3,040 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday – a nearly 300% increase since late September, wehn Holcomb announced an end to nearly all statewide business and crowd restrictions.

Iowa

Des Moines: The state set a record Wednesday for deaths blamed on the coronavirus as new confirmed cases and the number of people being treated in hospitals remained high. The state Department of Public Health reported 40 deaths and 3,896 confirmed new cases in the past 24 hours. That brings the total number of deaths to 2,064 and the total cases to 194,479. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 also continued to increase, with a record 1,527 people being treated. There were 283 people in intensive care units. In the past week, 1 in every 107 people in Iowa was diagnosed with the coronavirus, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. That’s the third-highest rate in the nation, behind only North Dakota and South Dakota.

Kansas

Topeka: Gov. Laura Kelly drew stiff criticism from Republican legislators Tuesday for turning down a plan to use part of the state’s share of federal COVID-19 relief dollars to shore up the unemployment trust fund. Kansas has continued to see more than 70,000 claimants drawing on unemployment insurance, not counting those receiving money from an array of new federal programs that have been made available. The fear is that will draw down the trust fund that underrates those claims, with Kelly saying during a State Finance Council meeting Friday that it will be out of money by “early spring.” Twenty states already have encountered that problem and have used low-interest loans from the federal government in an effort to bolster their unemployment coffers. Kansas could do the same, Kelly said, believing that it would be better to prioritize driving out coronavirus relief funds to other entities first. “We will not be the first state to empty its coffers,” Kelly said.

Kentucky

Louisville: Gov. Andy Beshear announced multiple new restrictions Wednesday as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the state. All public and private K-12 schools will close to in-person instruction starting Monday through the end of the semester. The only exception is for elementary schools in counties outside the red zone, which may reopen Dec. 7 if the school follows all guidelines. Beginning Friday and lasting until Dec. 13, all restaurants and bars will close to indoor dining services. Outdoor dining is still allowed, with some limitations. Gyms will be limited to 33% capacity, with masks required and no group classes or indoor games allowed. Indoor gatherings should be limited to two families, not exceeding a total of eight people. Attendance at wedding and funerals will be limited to 25 people. Beshear announced a $40 million fund to provide assistance to qualifying restaurants and bars affected by the dining room closures. He said that “there will not be a shutdown” in what he described as Kentucky’s counterattack against the pandemic’s third wave.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: The state’s latest coronavirus spike pushed confirmed cases above 200,000 Wednesday as it grapples with a third virus surge. The Louisiana Department of Health said it had confirmed that 200,982 people living in the state have tested positive for the coronavirus since Louisiana reported its first cases in early March. At least 5,939 residents have died from the virus, according to the health department. Nearly 186,000 people are presumed recovered, but that leaves thousands who could have active infections and be spreading the virus. More than 11,000 additional people in Louisiana have tested positive over the past week, prompting new rounds of worry from Gov. John Bel Edwards and public health officials that the latest swell of cases could threaten Louisiana’s ability to deliver health services. Hospitals aren’t overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients yet, but Edwards cautioned that the current trajectory raises that risk. Louisiana had two prior surges of the coronavirus, the first outbreak in March and April centered in the New Orleans region and a swell in June and July that was statewide. All regions of the state are seeing case spikes this month.

Maine

Portland: The state’s largest hospital is putting in place new visitation restrictions in response to a surge in COVID-19. The number of visitors and the length of visitation hours were being reduced effective Wednesday in most parts of Maine Medical Center. But visitation is not changing for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, pediatrics or obstetrics, officials said. “We understand that support from families is an important piece of healing for our patients,” said MMC President Jeff Sanders. “Our goal is to balance that need for family connection with the importance of reducing density in the hospital to keep all of our patients and care team members safe.” The hospital continues to screen all health care providers, patients and visitors for COVID-19, to require universal masking, and to encourage social distancing and hand-washing. The Maine Center for Disease Control reported four deaths and more than 150 additional infections Wednesday. It’s the second time in little more than a week that four deaths have been recorded in a single day. The seven-day average for daily cases is now 192, the highest to date.

Maryland

Annapolis: Anne Arundel County’s health officer has recommended that private schools switch to online learning amid the rise in coronavirus cases. Nilesh Kalyanaraman advised the switch in a letter to the schools last week, saying that the county health department does not recommend in-person learning when cases exceed 15 new cases a day per 100,000 people. That threshold was exceeded in the county earlier this month, the Capital Gazette reports. Kalyanaraman wrote that current data shows “COVID-19 cases attributed to exposure in schools” to be low but said that “maintaining low levels of in-school transmissions will become more difficult with the growth in cases we are experiencing, leading to more disruptions in learning.” The letter asked the schools to report by Friday whether they plan to go online, modify their instructions or maintain in-person learning. Kalyanaraman said Tuesday that the county does not have the ability to stop in-person learning, due to an executive order from Gov. Larry Hogan.

Massachusetts

Boston: Mayor Marty Walsh didn’t rule out shutting down restaurants and other businesses again if the number of coronavirus cases reported in the city continues to rise. The city’s positivity rate for the week ending Nov. 12 was 9.6%, up significantly from summer averages of 1.8% to 2.8%, he said at a City Hall news conference Tuesday. “I don’t want to be standing in front of this podium three weeks from now shutting down restaurants and retail shops and businesses and sports and schools and everything that we’ve done,” Walsh said. “We don’t want to go backwards.” He said an economic shutdown would be a last resort. Walsh also urged people to spend Thanksgiving only with immediate members of their household. The city will start releasing data on six key metrics twice a week in an effort to better track the spread of infections and monitor hospital capacity, he said.

Michigan

Lansing: The majority of educators in the state have safety concerns and don’t believe they’ll be able to return to in-person learning in January, according to a study from the state teachers’ union. The survey by the Michigan Education Association found 74% of the responding educators prefer some level of virtual learning now. More than 47,000 educators responded to the survey this month. The union has about 120,000 members. Of those responding, 84% reported safety concerns about a return to full in-person learning, and 68% reported that they weren’t confident schools will be able to return to in-person instruction in January. But 41% of educators reported that remote learning has been somewhat ineffective or not effective at all. Teachers want to be back in school because working alongside students is best, MEA President Paula Herbart said Tuesday in a media conference. However, when it comes to decisions being made in the state, the expertise of educators needs to be utilized more. “Many don’t feel like they’ve been a part of the decision-making process, and they want that to change,” Herbart said.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday imposed four weeks’ worth of new COVID-19 restrictions as the spread spiked to an all-time high, shutting down bars, restaurants and fitness centers, while pausing social gatherings and organized amateur sports. The announcement came on a day when Minnesota recorded a record 67 new COVID-19-related deaths, pushing the state’s toll to 3,010. The Minnesota Department of Health also reported 5,102 confirmed new cases, raising the total to 242,053. State officials said they expected to top 300,000 cases sometime next week. The governor said in a televised address that it made a difference when Minnesotans endured a lockdown last spring and that they need to take a pause again to protect a health care system that is at a breaking point, with staff are now increasingly falling ill because of community spread. Beginning Friday at 11:59 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 18, in-person social gatherings with others outside one’s own household are prohibited. Bars and restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery service only. Retail businesses, child care centers, salons, and places of worship can stay open with proper precautions under current restrictions. Schools will continue to operate with a mix of in-person, distance and hybrid learning.

Mississippi

Jackson: The state Department of Health reported 1,593 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, one of the highest single-day totals since the pandemic began. The health department said Mississippi, with a population of about 3 million, has reported more than 137,390 confirmed cases and at least 3,601 deaths from COVID-19 as of Tuesday evening. That’s an increase of 20 deaths from the day before. The deaths occurred between Aug. 4 and Nov. 17 and were identified later using death certificates. Meanwhile, newly confirmed cases among students have nearly doubled in a week’s time, according to data released by the health department. The number of students who tested positive for the coronavirus increased from 579 from Nov. 2 through Nov. 6 to more than 1,000 from Nov. 9 to Nov. 13. Last week, schools reported 70 outbreaks, which means more than three cases were reported within a confined setting over the course of two weeks. “You see that things are really starting to heat up,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said Tuesday during a virtual briefing with reporters.

Missouri

O’Fallon: The union representing St. Louis teachers is calling for a statewide mask mandate, a proposal that also has the backing of Missouri’s two largest teacher organizations. The interim president of the American Federation of Teachers St. Louis Local 420, Ray Cummings, said in a statement late Monday that it’s time for Republican Gov. Mike Parson “to follow science and the advice of health care professionals” in issuing a mask mandate. Outside St. Louis, Missouri teachers are largely represented by the Missouri National Education Association or the Missouri State Teachers Association. Contacted Tuesday, MNEA spokesman Mark Jones said the union “certainly would support a statewide mask mandate.” MSTA spokesman Todd Fuller said the association supports following science and the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state’s hospitals are filling fast with COVID-19 patients. The health department’s COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday cited 2,454 hospitalizations, down 71 from Monday but still seven times the number of patients who were hospitalized in July.

Montana

Helena: Gov. Steve Bullock on Tuesday expanded a mask mandate statewide and announced other restrictions as COVID-19 infections continue to surge and strain hospital resources. Beginning Friday, masks must be worn in public statewide. The mandate had been in place for counties with four or more active coronavirus cases and already applied to all but two counties as of Tuesday. Restaurants, bars, casinos and breweries will be limited to 50% capacity and must close by 10 p.m. Gatherings can’t exceed 25 people if social distancing isn’t possible, but Bullock urged people to avoid getting together with more than 15 people. The limits do not apply to schools and places of worship. Bullock said an additional $75 million in federal coronavirus relief funding would be available for businesses that agree to enforce the mask and physical distancing requirement. In addition, $25 million in supplemental unemployment benefits will be available, paid at $200 per week for eligible workers, beginning next week and lasting four weeks.

Nebraska

Omaha: More cities are passing mask mandates as the number of virus cases continues to surge across the state, but Gov. Pete Ricketts continues to reject the idea of a statewide mandate. Kearney and Beatrice passed mask requirements Tuesday to join Lincoln and Omaha as Nebraska cities that require people to wear masks. Several other cities, including Grand Island and Hastings, are also considering approving mask rules, according to the Omaha World-Herald. “In my heart of hearts this is something we need to do to defeat this. COVID is something you don’t want to mess with,” Kearney Mayor Stan Clouse said before the City Council voted unanimously to enact the mask ordinance. Kearney’s rule will go into effect Monday and last at least through Feb. 23. Statewide, masks are required at businesses where employees and customers are in close contact for more that 15 minutes, such as at salons and barbershops, but Ricketts continues to resist requiring them in all circumstances.

Nevada

Las Vegas: Surging COVID-19 cases in the metro area have prompted the Clark County School District to postpone consideration of a resumption of partial in-class instruction and to instead continue with remote learning through at least the end of the calendar year. District Superintendent Jesus Jara announced Monday that teachers and staff will continue to work at home through Dec. 18, when the first semester ends. A reopening plan will be presented to the district board in early January, he said. The board last week voted to postpone until Dec. 10 consideration of a hybrid learning mode. The district has used remote learning since mid-March, but officials have been discussing since the summer how to safely reopen for in-person learning. The recent proposal drew criticism from the teachers unions that cited lack of clarity on personal protective equipment, testing and contact tracing.

New Hampshire

Concord: Holding New Hampshire House sessions remotely would not violate a constitutional provision about what constitutes a quorum, the state Supreme Court said Tuesday. The House has been meeting at the University of New Hampshire to allow for greater social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, but Democrats voted in September to ask the court to weigh in on the possibility of remote sessions. Opponents argued that doing so would violate other provisions of the state constitution, particularly one guaranteeing public access to government. The court, however, limited its answer to the narrow question regarding quorum requirements. “As long as the requisite number of representatives is ‘present,’ either in person or virtually, meaning that the requisite number is ‘at hand’ and ‘not absent,’ ” the provision is satisfied, the court wrote. House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, D-Concord, called the opinion a “victory for common sense and safety.” But he won’t be speaker for long. Republicans regained control of both the House and Senate in this month’s elections.

New Jersey

New Brunswick: Rutgers is a clinical trial site for the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s Phase 3 clinical research study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the university announced. Rutgers said it will enroll as many as 2,000 participants from the university community and throughout New Jersey. Study participants who meet the eligibility requirements for the study will be randomly selected to receive a single dose of the potential vaccine or a placebo, according to Rutgers. Diverse participants are critical in a coronavirus vaccine trial to ensure effectiveness for populations often underrepresented in research, said XinQi Dong, director of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research. Dong is the co-lead investigator directing community recruitment for the Johnson & Johnson trial.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: As New Mexico experiences a rise in deaths and infections related to the coronavirus, education and child welfare officials are working to locate 12,000 students who have stopped attending public school and haven’t notified the state about their next move. A total of 21,000 students have disenrolled since the spring, including those who have notified schools of a transfer to home schooling, private school or another school out of state. New Mexico’s student enrollment has declined for years because of an aging, flat population, but the apparent exodus recorded this fall is much higher than before. On Tuesday, the state reported a record 2,112 known new cases of the virus, bringing the total case count above 67,000. Officials also reported a record-high 28 deaths in a single day. The death toll now stands at 1,264. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took to Twitter on Tuesday to tell residents to “shelter in place.”

New York

New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has frequently overruled Mayor Bill de Blasio on major decisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, said during a news conference Wednesday that the city has the authority to shut things down if it wishes. Cuomo predicted a “tremendous spike” in coronavirus cases after Thanksgiving as he pleaded with people not to be lulled into a false sense of safety over the holiday. “Your family sounds safe, doesn’t it? Your home sounds safe. Your dining room table at Thanksgiving sounds safe,” Cuomo said at a state Capitol briefing. “No, you won’t be safe. It’s an illusion.”

North Carolina

Raleigh: Gov. Roy Cooper and public health officials unveiled a new alert system Tuesday that will encourage counties with high levels of coronavirus transmission to more aggressively enforce statewide health guidelines and punish noncompliant businesses. Dangled over the counties’ heads is a big stick: the possibility of the state placing greater restrictions on them. Leaders in over half of the state’s counties, including 10 deemed to have “critical community spread,” are now being encouraged to pass ordinances levying fines against residents and businesses not complying with public health directives. They include the statewide mask mandate Cooper enacted months ago to combat COVID-19, as well as gathering limits. The 10 “critical” counties, mainly in rural areas, and 44 others with “substantial” spread also are being asked to consider cutting off alcohol sales earlier than the current 11 p.m. deadline statewide. And churches in those counties are advised not to hold any indoor in-person gatherings of more than 10 people. The Democratic governor warned of further restrictions if counties don’t heed the state’s advice.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Sanford Health is opening a new COVID-19 unit in the city, a move the hospital’s president called a “wake-up call” as beds become increasingly scarce because of the explosion of coronavirus cases in the state. The 20-bed unit at the former Bismarck Surgical Associates building is expected to open next week, according to the health care system. President Michael LeBeau said the $1 million facility is part of Sanford’s “surge” plan. “It is a wake-up call for us, and I think it should be a wake-up call for the community that the delivery of care is starting to get outside the norm,” LeBeau told the Bismarck Tribune. North Dakota has seen record numbers of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in recent weeks. Sanford had six available beds Tuesday, including one in intensive care, according to state health data. However, LeBeau said the numbers can change “almost hourly.”

Ohio

Columbus: Residents of the capital city and the surrounding county should stay at home as much as possible and not have guests inside their homes, including on Thanksgiving Day, according to an advisory stay-at-home order issued Wednesday by public health directors. People living in Columbus and Franklin County are also advised to avoid traveling in and out of state, based on the order by Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts and Franklin County Health Commissioner Joe Mazzola. The order includes a recommendation that people forgo “having guests in their homes during the upcoming holiday season.” Exceptions would be for essential needs such as medical care, groceries, medicine and food pickup, according to the order. It follows an increase in the local seven-day average of COVID-19 cases from 143 on Oct. 1 to 742 on Nov. 15. Local positivity rates have also jumped 12.5% as of last week. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases across Ohio has risen over the past two weeks from 3,343 new cases per day Nov. 3 to 7,280 new cases per day Nov. 17, according to an Associated Press analysis of data provided by the COVID Tracking Project.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The number of hospitalizations due to the coronavirus surpassed 1,400 on Wednesday for a new daily record, and the number of total cases increased by more than 3,000, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported. There were 1,434 people hospitalized, 53 more than the previous one-day record set Tuesday. The seven-day rolling average of new cases in the state has risen from 1,159.6 per day Nov. 3 to 2,607.3 per day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The health department reported 3,017 new cases and 26 additional deaths for totals of 161,425 cases and 1,570 deaths since the pandemic began. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in the state has declined slightly, from 14.6 to 13.3, based on the Johns Hopkins data. There were 29,823 active cases Wednesday, an increase of 1,016 from the day before, according to the health department.

Oregon

Salem: Gov. Kate Brown made her statewide two-week “freeze” official Tuesday with an executive order that makes the measures enforceable by law. The freeze will take effect starting Wednesday and aims to limit group activities and slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon, where cases have reached a record high. As part of the freeze, social gatherings cannot exceed six people. Restaurants are limited to takeout only, while gyms and fitness centers, museums, pools, sports courts, movie theaters, zoos, gardens, aquariums and venues will be closed. Grocery stores, pharmacies and retail stores are limited to a maximum capacity of 75%. All of the freeze measures are enforceable by law. Workplace violations should be reported to Oregon OSHA and restaurant violations to OSHA or OLCC. In the past, social gathering limits were “self-enforced.” Now, if caught violating this restriction, a person can be cited, fined or arrested, though Oregon State Police released a statement saying the agency would “continue to follow an education first approach,” keeping criminal citations “a last resort.”

Pennsylvania

York: As COVID-19 continues to spread, some central Pennsylvania hospitals are implementing restrictions on visitors. As of Tuesday, WellSpan Health is no longer allowing visitors in its hospitals, according to a statement from the health network. Forecasting at WellSpan Health projects the number of patients in its hospitals this winter will exceed the summer surge, when COVID-19 cases overwhelmed medical centers statewide. “We do have the flu season and COVID-19 colliding now over the next few months, and whether or not all of our health systems in our region will have the capacity to deal with both, I think, is a question,” WellSpan Health President and CEO Dr. Roxanna L. Gapstur said during a press conference last week. WellSpan’s eight are treating about 180 coronavirus patients – more than triple the number of patients in April. Statewide, 2,575 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, with 558 patients in intensive care units. On Tuesday, Pennsylvania reported 5,900 new cases, for a total of 275,513 cases in the commonwealth.

Rhode Island

Providence: It will be nearly impossible for the state to make it through the rest of the year without additional restrictions to help control the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Gina Raimondo said. “It’s safe to say that there are going to have to be some changes in order for us to safely make it through the holidays,” the Democratic governor told WPRI-TV on Tuesday. Her biggest concern is shutting down businesses again, something she doesn’t want to do. “I am going to do everything I can to avoid that or put it off as long as possible, but I may not have an option given the trend that we are on,” she said. She also welcomed the news that Rhode Island is one of four states partnering with Pfizer for its U.S. COVID-19 Immunization Pilot Program. She said she reached out to Pfizer and asked if Rhode Island could be part of the program. “There’s a ton of planning that goes into the process of getting everybody vaccinated, so it means we have a bit of a leg up on that planning because we are starting to work closely with the company already,” she said.

South Carolina

Columbia: State Attorney General Alan Wilson said he placed himself in quarantine Tuesday after finding out he was near someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Wilson said he feels fine and has no symptoms but will take the precaution to isolate himself to follow federal health guidelines. The Republican first elected attorney general in 2010 said he will work from home. Wilson’s statement did not specify with whom the attorney general was in close contact. COVID-19 cases in South Carolina are rising again after an outbreak this summer. The seven-day average number of new daily cases is above 1,400 for the first time since early August. During the pandemic’s first peak in July, the average was more than 1,900 new cases a day. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette announced she had COVID-19 back in September.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: The city reversed course and passed a 60-day mask mandate Tuesday after enforcement was removed from the ordinance and medical groups said hospitals exceeded capacity dealing with COVID-19 patients. The Sioux Falls City Council voted 6-2 to approve the measure Tuesday night. But the council said violations of the requirement, which applies to retail businesses and public buildings, will not carry any penalty. Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, who cast a tie-breaking vote against a mandate last week, said prior to Tuesday night’s vote that he was ready to get behind the requirement after the state’s largest physicians’ organization and a hospital system came out in support. Councilor Greg Neitzert, who voted against the ordinance, told the audience that his “yes” votes on amendments were to make the ordinance “as weak and ineffectual as I can” in case it passed and should not have been taken as a vote of support. “I want to neuter this,” he said. He warned that the ordinance would be toothless and an empty gesture. “We’re going to put this in place, and it’s not going to work,” Neitzert said before the vote.

Tennessee

Nashville: As health experts ring alarm bells at surging virus case numbers, Tennessee is one of just 14 states poised to head into the holiday season without a statewide mask mandate. Gov. Bill Lee also has vowed he will not impose business restrictions or issue guidance on how families should gather for next week’s Thanksgiving holiday amid the ongoing pandemic. The Republican has remained steadfast that he’s open to all options for battling COVID-19, reiterating for weeks that he hasn’t ruled anything out. However, Lee has thus far refused to adopt recommendations like other GOP governors who have begrudgingly implemented some sort of limited mask requirement in the face of skyrocketing virus numbers. Lee, instead, has left the mask requirement question up to Tennessee’s counties. Lee’s administration has also spent months encouraging Tennesseans to take “personal responsibility” in their actions to prevent the spread of the virus. When asked what happens if people don’t heed that advice, Lee has maintained that personal responsibility is the only path to curbing the spread.

Texas

El Paso: The crush of the coronavirus surge has the city sending its non-COVID-19 cases to hospitals elsewhere, officials said Tuesday. El Paso confirmed 994 new coronavirus cases and 13 new deaths Tuesday, and Austin Mayor Steve Adler confirmed that Austin-area hospitals are receiving non-coronavirus patients from overwhelmed hospitals in the border city. In a Facebook Live update Monday night, Adler said that El Paso was in a “world of hurt” and that numbers in Dallas, San Antonio and Houston were “scarier than ours, and our numbers are scary enough by themselves.” El Paso’s health care systems became overwhelmed even after the state sent additional medical resources, Adler said. Meanwhile, officials in Harris County, where Houston is located, appealed to the public to forgo gatherings with anyone beyond their immediate household during the holiday season in an effort to help stop the virus’s spread. On Tuesday afternoon, Harris County sent out an emergency text alert to all 4.7 million of its residents asking them to cancel their holiday gatherings and get tested.

Utah

St. George: Several prominent community leaders have joined together to address the state’s high COVID-19 rates and overwhelmed health care system. On Tuesday, Gail Miller from the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, Ryan Smith from Qualtrics, Marc Harrison from Intermountain Healthcare, and Keith McMullin from Deseret Management Corporation unveiled a new public service announcement and social media campaign titled “All In.” The campaign features videos of the leaders calling on people to wear their masks, maintain social distance, and otherwise comply with a statewide order issued by Gov. Gary Herbert to follow best practices and prevent spreading the coronavirus. The videos will air on local TV stations and on a variety of social media platforms. Billboards and other signage will also be used.

Vermont

Montpelier: The state is expanding testing as part of a broader move to help combat the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Phil Scott said Tuesday that the state will be opening five new testing sites by the end of the week in Burlington, Middlebury, Waterbury, Rutland and Brattleboro. Officials hope to have a total of 14 new testing sites up and running by the end of the month. The goal is to locate testing sites within a half-hour drive of all Vermonters, said Human Services Secretary Mike Smith. The hours of the testing locations will be expanded to make them more convenient for more Vermonters, and the state also hopes to increase the capacity to 30,000 tests a week, he said. The increased testing comes as Vermont is trying to tamp down a surge in coronavirus cases.

Virginia

Richmond: After the coronavirus pandemic forced months of online-only learning, some school districts had high hopes for bringing students back for some in-person classes before the end of the year. But with COVID-19 cases surging, the state’s largest school systems have hit the brakes on reopening plans. School officials in Virginia Beach, Henrico County and Fairfax County announced Monday that they’re pausing their plans for in-person classes, citing increased virus spread in their communities. The decisions came three days after Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam announced new statewide coronavirus restrictions, including limiting gatherings to 25 people and prohibiting alcohol sales at dining and drinking establishments after 10 p.m. The number of new virus cases in Virginia has steadily increased over the past month. As of Tuesday, the state health department has reported more than 206,000 cases since the pandemic began, with at least 3,835 deaths.

Washington

Seattle: The state Department of Health has reported 2,589 additional COVID-19 cases and 23 more deaths, setting another new record. The previous record was set Sunday with 2,519 cases, The Seattle Times reports. The state has set multiple new records in the past week. The update brings the state’s totals to more than 134,000 cases and 2,571 deaths. That means 1.9% of people diagnosed in Washington have died. State health officials also reported that 9,573 people have been hospitalized in the state because of the virus, with 55 new hospitalizations since Monday. Health officials also said Tuesday that a deadly outbreak of the coronavirus among residents and staff at Josephine Caring Community in Stanwood has grown to 99 cases. The 99 cases – split about evenly between residents of the long-term care facility and staff – is an increase from 94 reported over the weekend. Seven people have been hospitalized, including five who have died, Dr. Chris Spitters, Snohomish County’s health officer, said in a Tuesday briefing.

West Virginia

Charleston: The coronavirus has infected 260 inmates at McDowell County Corrections, by far the largest outbreak at a state prison. The state reported numbers Tuesday showing six more people were confirmed positive. Gov. Jim Justice said Monday that 28 staff members also were sick. He said the facility was on lockdown, and state data shows 136 people are quarantined there for possible exposure. In total, 57 employees across the state’s prisons and jails currently have the coronavirus. There are eight other active cases among inmates outside of McDowell.

Wisconsin

Madison: The state’s prisons have experienced the highest single-day spike in coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. The state Department of Corrections reported 808 new cases among inmates Monday, bringing the number of active cases to 2,063. Six prisons have big outbreaks of more than 100 active cases among prisoners. They include New Lisbon Correctional Institution with 362 cases, Fox Lake Correctional Institution with 360, Oshkosh Correctional Institution with 258, Racine Correctional Institution/Sturtevant Transitional Facility with 250, Taycheedah Correctional Institution with 140 and Dodge Correctional Institution with 135. Among staff, a total of 1,470 corrections employees have self-reported testing positive for the virus, with 338 of those active Monday, the State Journal reports. Despite cases continuing to rise, the prisons’ death count at 10 hasn’t changed since Nov. 3.

Wyoming

Gillette: Eight people have submitted applications for a vacant House seat after Gillette Republican Rep. Roy Edwards died from COVID-19 on Nov. 2, the day before the general election. Chris Knapp, Tom Murphy, Thomas Rothenbuehler, Nichole Shelstad, Joshua Dillinger, Joel Marquiss, Terry Sjolin and Kimberly Zehner have put their names forward as potential replacements, The Gillette New Record reports. Applicants must be Republican, at least 21 years old and a resident of House District 53, which includes Gillette, to be qualified, officials said. The Republican precinct committee is scheduled to select three finalists Thursday. The finalists’ names will then be forwarded to the Campbell County Commission, which will select Edwards’ replacement. Edwards is one of three Wyoming state lawmakers whose coronavirus diagnoses have been made public.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports