Coronavirus may still be spreading uncontrolled in 24 states, study suggests

The coronavirus could be spreading uncontrolled in 24 states in the U.S., particularly in the South and Midwest, according to new research that is yet to be peer-reviewed, which highlights the risk of a second wave of infections in places that reopen too quickly or without sufficient precautions.

More than 94,000 people have died from covid-19 in the United States, where the number of confirmed cases is approaching 1.6 million, according to tracking by The Washington Post.

Here are some significant developments:

• President Trump called on states to allow places of worship to open immediately and threatened to “override” any governors who do not comply with his demand. The CDC released guidelines for houses of worship on Friday.
• In the developing world, the coronavirus is killing far more young people. Fifteen percent of the dead in Brazil were younger than 50 — more than 10 times the percentage in Italy or Spain.
• A study of 96,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients on six continents found that those who received hydroxychloroquine — the antimalarial drug taken and promoted by Trump — had a significantly higher risk of death compared with those who did not.
• Federal prosecutors said a Georgia man lied to his employer about having covid-19, prompting the business to shut down for cleaning and sending several of his co-workers into quarantine, costing the business about $100,000.
• A new report in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the coronavirus attacks the lining of blood vessels inside patients’ lungs, a key distinction making the virus far worse than the flu.

Health authorities in Ohio’s largest county are apologizing this week after issuing “offensive” face-mask guidance for African Americans and people of color, urging them to steer clear of masks that could be associated with “gang symbolism” or “elicit deeply held stereotypes.”

The Franklin County Public Health department, which just recently declared racism a public health crisis, had issued its guidance last month after African Americans expressed concern about iptvsat being racially profiled while wearing face masks. Officials said they wanted to “ensure that all individuals feel safe and can protect themselves from the COVID-19 when out in public by wearing a face mask.”

But the pointers the health department offered didn’t exactly resonate in the way authorities apparently hoped.

States and major cities continued to push toward reopening ahead of the holiday weekend.

On Friday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed an executive order expanding the number of people allowed to gather outdoors from 10 to 25. Recreational campgrounds around the state have also opened in time for Memorial Day.

“We are able to confidently make this decision today because of the hard work that each of you have put in, through social distancing, to relieve the stresses on our health care system,” Murphy said at a news conference.

In New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) announced that phase one reopening of businesses can begin in Long Island and the mid-Hudson next week if death statistics continue a downward trend. In the state’s initial reopening phase, retail businesses remain closed for in-person shopping but can offer curbside pickup, while construction jobs, manufacturing and wholesale trade can begin again.

New York also moved Friday to allow “all socially-distanced gatherings of 10 people or less,” rather than just small gatherings related to worship or Memorial Day, according to a civil liberties group that had sued over the matter. The New York Civil Liberties Union had argued the government “does not get to pick who gets to exercise First Amendment rights.”

Some officials voiced concerns about iptv4sat the change Friday.

“This was not a decision made by health professionals. It was forced by a lawsuit,” tweeted Mark Levine, chair of the New York City Council’s public health committee.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs will enter the “yellow” phase of the state’s reopening plan, under which most businesses can resume operations, by June 5.

Kentucky, Michigan and Vermont also changed their reopening statuses on Friday. For the latest information on state re-openings,