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| Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today | Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today |
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| This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email. | This is the Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide to the global outbreak. Sign up here to get the briefing by email. |
| Stay-at-home orders and business restrictions are expiring in many American states. | Stay-at-home orders and business restrictions are expiring in many American states. |
| Another 3.8 million people filed new claims for unemployment benefits in the U.S. last week. | Another 3.8 million people filed new claims for unemployment benefits in the U.S. last week. |
| Prime Minister Mikhail V. Mishustin of Russia says he is sick with Covid-19. | Prime Minister Mikhail V. Mishustin of Russia says he is sick with Covid-19. |
| Get the latest updates here, plus maps, a tracker for U.S. metro areas, and full coverage. | Get the latest updates here, plus maps, a tracker for U.S. metro areas, and full coverage. |
| As Americans wrestle with how to emerge from weeks of social-distancing restrictions, tensions are building between those who remain desperate to suppress the coronavirus and those who are desperate to get out of the house. And the nation’s beaches have become a flash point. | As Americans wrestle with how to emerge from weeks of social-distancing restrictions, tensions are building between those who remain desperate to suppress the coronavirus and those who are desperate to get out of the house. And the nation’s beaches have become a flash point. |
| Gov. Gavin Newsom of California stepped in to shut down the beaches in Orange County after pictures were published showing them packed last weekend with swimmers and sunbathers obviously ignoring official pleas to keep a safe distance apart. | Gov. Gavin Newsom of California stepped in to shut down the beaches in Orange County after pictures were published showing them packed last weekend with swimmers and sunbathers obviously ignoring official pleas to keep a safe distance apart. |
| Part of the trouble: Orange County opened its beaches while those in neighboring Los Angeles and San Diego were still off-limits, so crowds came from all three counties. | Part of the trouble: Orange County opened its beaches while those in neighboring Los Angeles and San Diego were still off-limits, so crowds came from all three counties. |
| In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has resisted pressure even from the White House to close all his state’s beaches, insisting that decisions should be made locally. The state drew heavy criticism for failing to stop swarms of young people from congregating for spring break when the coronavirus was spreading out of control. | In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has resisted pressure even from the White House to close all his state’s beaches, insisting that decisions should be made locally. The state drew heavy criticism for failing to stop swarms of young people from congregating for spring break when the coronavirus was spreading out of control. |
| Beaches in Galveston, Texas, will reopen on Friday under Gov. Greg Abbott’s phased reopening order, which permits outdoor activities as long as people take precautions to minimize contact. | Beaches in Galveston, Texas, will reopen on Friday under Gov. Greg Abbott’s phased reopening order, which permits outdoor activities as long as people take precautions to minimize contact. |
| But Mayor Dan Gelber of Miami Beach said enforcing rules like that “is difficult, if not impossible.” His city’s beaches are still closed, he said, because “once you open them, there’s a good chance that they would be wall-to-wall with people.” | But Mayor Dan Gelber of Miami Beach said enforcing rules like that “is difficult, if not impossible.” His city’s beaches are still closed, he said, because “once you open them, there’s a good chance that they would be wall-to-wall with people.” |
| Safety patrols in Volusia County, Fla., whose beaches are open only for solitary exercise, issued more than 1,200 violation warnings on Sunday, to little avail. “We’ll drive away, and people will come up right behind us and set up a tent and chairs and just hang out,” said Capt. Tamra Malphurs, a spokeswoman. “People are getting quarantine fatigue.” | Safety patrols in Volusia County, Fla., whose beaches are open only for solitary exercise, issued more than 1,200 violation warnings on Sunday, to little avail. “We’ll drive away, and people will come up right behind us and set up a tent and chairs and just hang out,” said Capt. Tamra Malphurs, a spokeswoman. “People are getting quarantine fatigue.” |
| Beaches are vital to the economies of coastal states and are among the few affordable ways for low-income residents to cool off in hot weather (Southern California and South Florida have already had heat waves this year). But beaches are also places where it is all too easy for people to get too close — and where hardly anyone feels like wearing a mask. | Beaches are vital to the economies of coastal states and are among the few affordable ways for low-income residents to cool off in hot weather (Southern California and South Florida have already had heat waves this year). But beaches are also places where it is all too easy for people to get too close — and where hardly anyone feels like wearing a mask. |
| The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter — like all of our newsletters — is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription. | The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter — like all of our newsletters — is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription. |
| The pandemic appears to be ebbing in much of Asia and Europe, but it has yet to peak in Latin America, where it took hold later and where some leaders have been dismissive of the threat. | The pandemic appears to be ebbing in much of Asia and Europe, but it has yet to peak in Latin America, where it took hold later and where some leaders have been dismissive of the threat. |
| Brazil has been hit hardest in the region, with more than 80,000 cases and 5,500 deaths. President Jair Bolsonaro has resisted imposing shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, and has called Covid-19 a “measly cold.” | Brazil has been hit hardest in the region, with more than 80,000 cases and 5,500 deaths. President Jair Bolsonaro has resisted imposing shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, and has called Covid-19 a “measly cold.” |
| Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America, has told its people to keep living as usual, and it is one of only a few nations in the world to carry on with professional sports. | Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America, has told its people to keep living as usual, and it is one of only a few nations in the world to carry on with professional sports. |
| The Trump administration and some major U.S. companies have pressed Mexico to allow American-owned factories there to stay open, despite fears that their workers are at particular risk of contracting the virus. | The Trump administration and some major U.S. companies have pressed Mexico to allow American-owned factories there to stay open, despite fears that their workers are at particular risk of contracting the virus. |
| The rationale is often that the plants make things the military or the health care system needs. The company that owns Sharpie and Paper Mate, for example, has argued that doctors and nurses need pens. | The rationale is often that the plants make things the military or the health care system needs. The company that owns Sharpie and Paper Mate, for example, has argued that doctors and nurses need pens. |
| But Mexican officials have warned that companies are not doing enough to protect workers. One factory even put chains on its doors to prevent employees from leaving, according to the labor secretary of Baja California. | But Mexican officials have warned that companies are not doing enough to protect workers. One factory even put chains on its doors to prevent employees from leaving, according to the labor secretary of Baja California. |
| Reverse migration in Peru: Driven by job losses and fear of infection, thousands of people in Lima and other cities are fleeing to rural areas — and potentially carrying the virus with them. | Reverse migration in Peru: Driven by job losses and fear of infection, thousands of people in Lima and other cities are fleeing to rural areas — and potentially carrying the virus with them. |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | Updated June 22, 2020 |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| A working vaccine against the coronavirus would be the best tool to help society return to normal. President Trump has pressed officials to produce one by the end of 2020, though experts say that even under the best circumstances, it will take something more like 12 to 18 months. (The current U.S. speed record is four years.) | |
| But that’s just Step 1. Step 2 is just as important: quickly manufacturing hundreds of millions or even billions of doses, especially if it turns out that each person will need two doses to be protected, as is often the case with vaccinations. | |
| Meeting that towering demand will call for planning, flexibility and maybe a running start. It’s not just the vaccine itself — the country will also need huge additional quantities of vials and syringes and other supplies, and manufacturers will need time to gear up for making them. | Meeting that towering demand will call for planning, flexibility and maybe a running start. It’s not just the vaccine itself — the country will also need huge additional quantities of vials and syringes and other supplies, and manufacturers will need time to gear up for making them. |
| To speed things along, manufacturers may start producing promising vaccines while they are still in trials. That’s being done with one developed by Oxford University. | To speed things along, manufacturers may start producing promising vaccines while they are still in trials. That’s being done with one developed by Oxford University. |
| Trade-offs. Donald G. McNeil Jr., a Times science reporter, says that rapidly producing enough doses of vaccine for the whole country may require drastic steps, like converting breweries and distilleries and repurposing the labs we already have. | Trade-offs. Donald G. McNeil Jr., a Times science reporter, says that rapidly producing enough doses of vaccine for the whole country may require drastic steps, like converting breweries and distilleries and repurposing the labs we already have. |
| “That may mean that we stop making measles vaccine, and we stop making pneumococcal vaccine, and we stop making a lot of other vaccines,” he said on the NPR program “Fresh Air.” “So we end up putting people in danger of not being able to get a shingles shot or not being able to get a hepatitis A or B shot or something like that, while we’re converting everything to Covid-19 vaccine.” | “That may mean that we stop making measles vaccine, and we stop making pneumococcal vaccine, and we stop making a lot of other vaccines,” he said on the NPR program “Fresh Air.” “So we end up putting people in danger of not being able to get a shingles shot or not being able to get a hepatitis A or B shot or something like that, while we’re converting everything to Covid-19 vaccine.” |
| But really, how long will it take? The Times’s Opinion section asked vaccine experts how to squeeze the timeline into months instead of years. They said it would mean cutting some red tape, cutting some corners and catching some breaks. | But really, how long will it take? The Times’s Opinion section asked vaccine experts how to squeeze the timeline into months instead of years. They said it would mean cutting some red tape, cutting some corners and catching some breaks. |
| New Jersey is now reporting the most daily deaths of any state, with 460 on Thursday. | New Jersey is now reporting the most daily deaths of any state, with 460 on Thursday. |
| In a C.D.C. study of hospitalized coronavirus patients in Georgia, more than 80 percent were African-American — probably a reflection of the high proportion of black residents working on the front lines. | In a C.D.C. study of hospitalized coronavirus patients in Georgia, more than 80 percent were African-American — probably a reflection of the high proportion of black residents working on the front lines. |
| South Korea reported for the first time that it had no new domestic cases, and Hong Kong has reported no new cases for five straight days. | South Korea reported for the first time that it had no new domestic cases, and Hong Kong has reported no new cases for five straight days. |
| The virus has ravaged a convent, Our Lady of the Angels, in a suburb of Milwaukee, killing five of its nuns over the last several weeks. | The virus has ravaged a convent, Our Lady of the Angels, in a suburb of Milwaukee, killing five of its nuns over the last several weeks. |
| Track your symptoms. If you think you have Covid-19, it’s important to mark your calender at the first sign of illness and keep track as they develop. Here, from our colleague Tara Parker-Pope, is a rough timeline of how the virus progresses: | Track your symptoms. If you think you have Covid-19, it’s important to mark your calender at the first sign of illness and keep track as they develop. Here, from our colleague Tara Parker-Pope, is a rough timeline of how the virus progresses: |
| Days 1 to 3 — It can start with a tickle in your throat or a cough, a fever, headaches, feeling winded or a little pressure in your chest. Some people may just feel tired. Some may lose their sense of taste and smell. | Days 1 to 3 — It can start with a tickle in your throat or a cough, a fever, headaches, feeling winded or a little pressure in your chest. Some people may just feel tired. Some may lose their sense of taste and smell. |
| Days 4 to 8 — Fevers, cough and fatigue will intensify in many patients. Around Day 5, older patients and those with underlying conditions should start watching for signs of a more serious infection, like increasing shortness of breath. | Days 4 to 8 — Fevers, cough and fatigue will intensify in many patients. Around Day 5, older patients and those with underlying conditions should start watching for signs of a more serious infection, like increasing shortness of breath. |
| Days 8 to 12 — People with mild cases may start to feel better, but doctors urge caution at this stage. Many patients will continue recovering, but some may quickly take a turn for the worse. It can happen in younger and healthier patients as late as Day 12. | Days 8 to 12 — People with mild cases may start to feel better, but doctors urge caution at this stage. Many patients will continue recovering, but some may quickly take a turn for the worse. It can happen in younger and healthier patients as late as Day 12. |
| After that — If your illness was relatively mild, you should be well recovered by this point. Those whose symptoms were worse, but who maintained normal blood oxygen levels, should be feeling mostly recovered. Patients who had severe symptoms or needed medical intervention will recover more slowly. | After that — If your illness was relatively mild, you should be well recovered by this point. Those whose symptoms were worse, but who maintained normal blood oxygen levels, should be feeling mostly recovered. Patients who had severe symptoms or needed medical intervention will recover more slowly. |
| After Swiss authorities said that it was safe for children under 10 to hug their grandparents because scientists had concluded that young children do not transmit the virus, the World Health Organization said it would explore whether such hugs were safe. | After Swiss authorities said that it was safe for children under 10 to hug their grandparents because scientists had concluded that young children do not transmit the virus, the World Health Organization said it would explore whether such hugs were safe. |
| Subway service in New York City will halt from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. so trains can be disinfected, in what is believed to be the first regularly scheduled systemwide halt in 52 years. | Subway service in New York City will halt from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. so trains can be disinfected, in what is believed to be the first regularly scheduled systemwide halt in 52 years. |
| High schools across the country are debating whether to issue grades this year. | High schools across the country are debating whether to issue grades this year. |
| Television-watching soared in the U.S. when stay-at-home orders began, but new data shows that Americans have started to wean themselves from the tube. | Television-watching soared in the U.S. when stay-at-home orders began, but new data shows that Americans have started to wean themselves from the tube. |
| A new kind of hero: Mattel is introducing a collection of action figures that celebrate front-line workers in the pandemic, including doctors, nurses and grocery-store employees. | A new kind of hero: Mattel is introducing a collection of action figures that celebrate front-line workers in the pandemic, including doctors, nurses and grocery-store employees. |
| On March 23, we started a family journal on Google Docs. The writers are from two different states, three families, ages 75, 48, 13, and two 12-year-olds. It’s now about 10 pages. We had no family recollections about the 1918 virus, so that was the impetus. | On March 23, we started a family journal on Google Docs. The writers are from two different states, three families, ages 75, 48, 13, and two 12-year-olds. It’s now about 10 pages. We had no family recollections about the 1918 virus, so that was the impetus. |
| — Marj Radin, Brookline, Mass. | — Marj Radin, Brookline, Mass. |
| Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. | Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. |
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| Lara Takenaga, Jonathan Wolfe and Thomas Wright-Piersanti helped write today’s newsletter. | Lara Takenaga, Jonathan Wolfe and Thomas Wright-Piersanti helped write today’s newsletter. |