Seven states reported a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations July 20, according to data tracked by The Washington Post. They are Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Kentucky, North Dakota, Arkansas and Montana.
Average death rates also hit new highs in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, South Carolina and Texas this weekend, according to the Post's COVID-19 newsletter published July 20.
Though hospitalization and death rates are hitting record highs in some states, the U.S. reported about 60,000 new cases July 20, marking the smallest daily increase in a week, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Four other updates:
1. President Donald Trump said July 20 he would resume daily media briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time since late April, reports Politico.The first briefing is tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. ET July 21.
2. Three laboratories released promising vaccine trial results July 20, reports The New York Times. Oxford University and AstraZeneca — which are developing a vaccine candidate together — and the Chinese drugmaker CanSino Biologics both published peer-reviewed data in The Lancet. Pfizer and BioNTech published early results online, which have not been peer reviewed. The vaccine developers said their candidates demonstrated immune response with minor side effects. However, they all said a second, booster dose of the vaccine would be needed for immunity. Scientists also cautioned that trial participants' immune responses do not necessarily guarantee immunity. At present, 24 vaccine candidates are in clinical trials worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
3. A Texas county issued a shelter-at-home order July 20, but Gov. Greg Abbott says the order is unenforceable, The Texas Tribune reports. Emergency Management Director and County Judge Richard Cortez signed an order for Hidalgo County that includes a curfew, travel limitations and face covering requirements. However, the emergency order is just a recommendation, according to Gov. Abbott's office.
4. HHS rolled out a new database for COVID-19 hospitalizations July 20, reports CNBC. The system collects data from about 4,500 hospitals daily, up from the 3,000 that reported to the CDC.
Snapshot of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Cases: 3,831,450
Deaths: 140,909
Recovered: 1,160,087
Counts reflect data available as of 8:20 a.m. CDT July 21.
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