3 states account for 18% of world's cases; more COVID-19 therapies may be available in fall — 6 updates

The global COVID-19 tally grew by nearly 1.1 million cases between July 8 and July 13, according to data from Baltimore-based John Hopkins University cited by CNN. As of July 14, more than 13 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed worldwide.

California, Florida and Texas reported at least 30,000 new cases July 13, accounting for 18 percent of new infections globally, according to The New York Times. 

Six updates:

1. Vice President Mike Pence told governors the administration will support steps deemed necessary to contain the virus, Bloomberg reports. During a July 13 conference call, Mr. Pence said the administration will back state efforts as 13 states report positive test rates above 10 percent, according to a person who listened to the session and spoke to Bloomberg under the condition of anonymity.  

2. The White House plans to ask governors to consider tapping the National Guard to help collect and report COVID-19 data, according to draft letters and internal emails obtained by The Washington Post. Several federal officials told the Post a letter will be sent to governors giving them the option of using the National Guard to aid in daily data reporting. A previous draft of the letter required states to take this action. On July 14, HHS officials finalized a new data reporting plan for hospitals, which now has them send COVID-19 information to a federal contractor or state officials, instead of the CDC. 

3. More COVID-19 treatments could be available in early fall through Operation Warp Speed, senior White House officials said during a July 13 briefing, per The Washington Post. However, if cases continue to rise, demand for therapies like convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibody drugs could outpace supplies. 

4. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has proposed shutting down the city for a minimum of two weeks to help contain the spread of COVID-19, the mayor said in a July 13 tweet. "If we can not have a shut down, then at least step back to state's Phase 1," Mr. Turner wrote, adding that he pitched the proposal to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. On July 13, health officials confirmed 1,544 new COVID-19 cases in Houston, the second highest single-day increase since the pandemic started, reports KHOU 11.

5. At least 3,000 healthcare workers worldwide have died from COVID-19, an Amnesty International report estimates. Researchers analyzed a collation of data from 63 countries, including lists compiled by national medical associations and media sources. The organization noted that the figure is likely to be a major underestimate due to a lack of reporting.

6. About 5.4 million Americans lost health insurance coverage from February to May, the greatest insurance loss recorded in U.S. history, according to a new Families USA report. The nonprofit consumer health advocacy organization used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Urban Institute. The report found 5.4 million recently laid-off workers are now uninsured, an increase 39 percent higher than any annual increase ever recorded.

Snapshot of COVID-19 in the U.S.

Cases: 3,364,704
Deaths: 135,615
Recovered: 1,031,939

Counts reflect data available as of 8:30 a.m. CDT July 14.

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