Sunburn — The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics — 6.30.20 - Florida Politics
Sunburn — The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics — 6.30.20 - Florida Politics |
| Sunburn — The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics — 6.30.20 - Florida Politics Posted: 30 Jun 2020 01:05 AM PDT After a successful career spanning three decades, Bob Asztalos will be retiring as chief lobbyist/emergency response coordinator for the Florida Health Care Association. Asztalos, a retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief who also served as chair of the Florida Veterans Foundation last year, will officially step down on September 30. Asztalos has been active in legislative circles advocating for Florida's veterans and the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs.  After 30 years, Bob Asztalos (shown here with Lisa Giacobbe) is stepping down as head lobbyist for the FHCA. "It is hard to believe that I have had the privilege of representing long term care providers for thirty years," Asztalos wrote in a letter to FHCA Executive Director Emmett Reed. "It has been an honor to represent the good people who take care of our greatest generation. I have learned much from your leadership of the Association over the last twelve years and I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with the outstanding staff at FHCA." Asztalos will certainly be leaving with one more major win, as the 2020-2021 budget — signed Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis — includes a $105 million Medicaid funding increase for nursing center care. This leaves most of the reimbursement intact, despite the push for significant cuts due to economic constraints from the COVID-19 pandemic. "FHCA commends Gov. DeSantis for his forward-thinking decision to leave intact the Medicaid reimbursement increase for Florida's nursing homes, the FHCA said in a statement. "The Governor clearly recognizes that nursing homes are on the front line of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the state must continue to support them, which includes having sufficient resources to properly protect Florida's most vulnerable residents." In his retirement letter, Asztalos also offered to assist with the transition to a new chief lobbyist through Dec. 31, 2020. — SITUATIONAL AWARENESS — —@MEPFuller: Just trying to imagine what the pandemic and the economy would have looked like if Congress and the White House hadn't agreed to an extra $600 for unemployment. Tweet, tweet: —@NikkiFried: @GovRonDeSantis' office has just informed us he is not rescheduling June's clemency hearing & cabinet meeting "out of the interest of public health." 0 clemency hearings in 2020. I wish @GovRonDeSantis would fight #COVID19 as hard as he fights to deny voting rights. —@ChrisSprowls: .@GovRonDeSantis played his constitutional role and did what was necessary to stabilize Florida's budget. Everyone will be disappointed by something, but as we approach July 4th, let us remember that shared sacrifice in the face of an ongoing crisis is a heroic American value. —@Rob_Bradley: The Governor is a fiscal hawk with a heart. This People First budget includes teacher raises, correctional officer raises, 3% state employee raises, nursing home Medicaid rate increases, affordable housing SAIL dollars and 100m for Florida Forever. Great work, @GovRonDeSantis! —@JeffreyBrandes: I'm disappointed but undeterred, @GovRonDeSantis had some tough choices to make, "The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun" -Hozier. —@SenPizzo: Of the $7,415,250 in local funding we secured for our senate district, $6,265,250 was vetoed today. —@Nature_Florida: It is great news that the Pensacola/Perdido Estuary Project is funded in the 2021 Florida Budget. Thanks to @GovRonDeSantis, @RAlexAndradeFL, and @DougBroxson. It is a great day for @PPBEP_FLAL and this valuable program to protect our Gulf. —@JeffSchweers: Why would anyone NOT need one of these? Cut from the #Florida budget, somebody's crying. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Near-Infrared Python Detection Camera. And it's only $400,000! —@DrunkAtDisney: My feed 4 hours ago. "HAHA SUCK IT FLORIDA, ANOTHER 5000 COVID CASES. " Current Feed: "HOW THE HELL THEY NOT GONNA LET ME IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM FOR A PREVIEW?" — DAYS UNTIL — Vice President Mike Pence to visit Florida (tour canceled/meeting with Gov. DeSantis) — 2; "The Outpost" with Orlando Bloom and Scott Eastwood premieres — 3; NBA teams travel to Orlando — 7; Major League Soccer will return to action — 8; Disney World Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom to reopen — 11; Disney World Epcot and Hollywood Studios to reopen — 15; Federal taxes due — 15; MLB 60-game season begins — 23; TED conference rescheduled — 27; NBA season restart in Orlando — 33; Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" premieres (rescheduled) — 43; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 50; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 51; "Mulan" premieres (rescheduled) — 52; NBA draft lottery — 56; Indy 500 rescheduled — 56; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 58; Rev. Al Sharpton's D.C. March — 61; U.S. Open begins — 64; "A Quiet Place Part II" premieres — 68; Rescheduled running of the Kentucky Derby — 70; Rescheduled date for French Open — 92; First presidential debate in Indiana — 96; "Wonder Woman" premieres — 96; Preakness Stakes rescheduled — 97; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 104; NBA season ends (last possible date) — 106; Second presidential debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 109; NBA draft — 109; Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch" premieres — 110; NBA free agency — 112; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 118; 2020 General Election — 128; "Black Widow" premieres — 132; NBA 2020-21 training camp — 135; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit — 143; "No Time to Die" premieres — 150; NBA 2020-21 opening night — 157; "Top Gun: Maverick" premieres — 199; Super Bowl LV in Tampa — 225; New start date for 2021 Olympics — 390; "Jungle Cruise" premieres — 399; "Spider-Man Far From Home" sequel premieres — 495; "Thor: Love and Thunder" premieres — 593; "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" premieres — 635; "Black Panther 2" premieres — 677; "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" sequel premieres — 831.
— CORONA BUDGET — "Ron DeSantis slashes $1 billion in spending from state budget due to coronavirus" via John Kennedy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — DeSantis vetoed $1 billion in spending from the $93.2 billion state budget crafted by his fellow Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature before the coronavirus pandemic began shattering the economy. DeSantis said he had "threaded the needle," in preserving some top big-ticket proposals, including pay raises for teachers and state workers and more than $625 million in water projects. The now-$92.2 billion budget is set to take effect Wednesday. Among the cuts is $225 million in state funding for affordable housing, which DeSantis said will be offset by $250 million in federal money for rental and mortgage assistance directed to Florida under CARES act funding.  With a single day to spare, Ron DeSantis signs the Florida budget, after line-item vetoes of $1B. Image via Colin Hackley. "DeSantis vetoes of 'big hit' to health care budget" via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida — DeSantis vetoed more than $140.5 million in health care spending as he brought the spending plan in line with reduced revenues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. DeSantis vetoed scores of health care-related projects but also cut into what is known as the "base budget," which includes programs funded with recurring dollars. "We took a big hit," Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairman Aaron Bean said. "But I get it because we are the largest silo (part of the budget)." Spending on health and human services accounted for about 40% of the $93.2 billion budget that lawmakers passed in March. DeSantis issued $1 billion in vetoes Monday and signed a $92.2 billion budget. — "Florida Developmental Disabilities Council commends DeSantis for preserved funding" via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics "Infectious disease funding for prisons vetoed as COVID-19 cases in Florida soar" via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — As Florida faces a rapidly spreading pandemic, DeSantis vetoed $28 million for infectious disease drug treatment. The move cut a sizable chunk of funding set aside by the Florida Legislature for the infectious diseases treatment, a veto from a $112.9 million appropriation for inmate treatment. Lawmakers earmarked the $28 million in nonrecurring funding for F0-F1 hepatitis C treatment, according to appropriations documents. Notably, the funding was contingent upon an adverse outcome in a lawsuit against the state, after the conclusion of all appeals in a class-action suit, which required the facilities to treat inmates who tested positive for hepatitis C as of December 2017. But the Department of Corrections was also specifically authorized to submit a budget amendment to release funds if needed to respond to a pandemic in the prison system. It's a bit of a shock to see funding for an infectious disease drug treatment program cut as COVID-19 rages. "Child welfare projects, priorities for José Oliva, nixed from budget" via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — DeSantis vetoed $5 million from the state budget intended for Florida State University's Florida Institute for Child Welfare. That veto is part of more than $1 billion axed from lawmakers' budget proposal. Child welfare was one of Oliva's priorities. In 2014, the Legislature created the program under the FSU College of Social Work. This year, the program will carry on without the extra financial boost from the state. Despite losing this project, Oliva praised the "appropriate and decisive action" to make the billion-dollar "savings." DeSantis retained $117.6 million for children and families who receive services through the child welfare system, including $53 million to enhance accountability and quality of care in DCF. "DeSantis cuts $2 million prison improvement master plan" via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — One of the many fatalities of this year's historic budget vetoes is $2 million intended to develop a master plan to modernize the state's correctional infrastructure. The project was a priority for Sen. Jeff Brandes, who says deteriorating correctional facilities across Florida are "barely habitable" for the state's 90,000 inmates. Brandes earned a win out in this Session's budget conferences after House members acceded to the Senate's proposal. Lawmakers sought a formal vision to upgrade the state's aging facilities with practical improvements like air conditioning and even going as far as to relocate prisons to more populated areas to draw from a broader talent pool of officers and staff. Brandes called the current maintenance allocations "fingers in the dike" of issues. The oldest of the state's correctional facilities is more than 100 years old. "Millions vetoed from Florida's school guardian program" via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Florida's Guardian program suffered a $41.5 million slash on Monday as part of DeSantis' effort to rebalance the state budget as a coronavirus-fueled economic collapse obliterated state revenue. The Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program was created to help further protect schools by adding armed personnel who are trained by police to respond to an active shooter. In total, $41,579,863 was taken from the program. According to the Florida Department of Education, there are 42 counties currently participating in the Guardian Program. "Central Florida budget vetoes: BRIDG money axed again" via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — The BRIDG high-tech center being developed in Osceola County got hit by another DeSantis' veto, as the Governor axed the $5 billion the University of Central Florida had requested to support an advanced manufacturing sensors facility. That $5 million was the biggest cut DeSantis made in projects the Legislature had included in its 2021 budget for Central Florida. It's the second year in a row DeSantis nixed a big grant intended for BRIDG, following the $6 million vetoed last year. Overall, DeSantis took his knife to at least 18 Central Florida projects totaling more than $10 million, a relatively minor skim as he vetoed more than $1 billion worth of spending statewide to respond to revenue losses incurred because of the coronavirus crisis.  The BRIDG high-tech center under development in Osceola County suffered another state budget veto this year. "Tampa Bay education takes big hit in 'Red Wedding' budget; SPC biggest loser" via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — DeSantis' veto pen hit various education programs in the Tampa Bay area as he slashed more than $1 billion from the proposed budget. Those cuts amounted to more than $7.2 million to programs ranging from community outreach to STEM education. St. Petersburg College suffered the biggest blow, losing out on $2 million that had been approved for new Collegiate High Schools at the college's downtown St. Pete and Seminole campuses. SPC also saw $725,000 axed to increase capacity in its two-year nursing program that would have gone toward new patient simulators and minor facility upgrades. —"DeSantis vetoed millions in Tampa Bay area programs. Here's what got cut." via Kirby Wilson, Sharon Kennedy Wynne and Dan Sullivan of the Tampa Bay Times "Amid budget slashes, Governor approves $8 million for 'Alyssa's Alert' school alarm system" via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Monday's final budget keeps alive $8 million to implement a new panic alarm system throughout Florida's public and charter schools. The legislation setting up the system (SB 70) was presented to DeSantis and awaits his signature. The system is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, one of 17 people murdered during the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The measure tasks the Department of Education to set up a model alert system to ensure school officials can contact nearby law enforcement quickly in the event of an emergency. DOE officials will consult with counterparts at the Division of Emergency Management, the Department of Law Enforcement and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission to create the system. "Broward Sheriff's Office loses out on $500K for Real-Time Crime Center expansion thanks to coronavirus budget cuts" via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — The Broward Sheriff's Office will lose out on $500,000 to expand its Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) created following the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The original funding request sought $5 million to expand the RTCC into a "Fusion Center." "The Broward County Sheriff's Office has multiple data sources that it uses for both simple record-keeping as well as crime analysis and prevention," the funding bill read. The original request would have put $4 million toward software designed to integrate information, as well as another $1 million for hardware and renovations such as display screen and architectural upgrades for the center. Ultimately, the Legislature approved just $500,000 for the project. "Randolph Bracy celebrates budgeting win for HBCUs" via Spencer Fordin of Florida Politics — Bracy approached the microphone exultantly Monday to announce a victory he helped usher to a conclusion, funding for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs.) Three Florida schools, Bethune-Cookman University, Edward Waters College and Florida Memorial University, will receive $30 million in the upcoming budget. Funding for Bethune-Cookman will include more than $16 million in recurring support. Edward Waters and Florida Memorial will split an additional $14 million. Bracy, who served as the Senate Appropriations sponsor for HBCU funding, lauded DeSantis for making the funding official.  Randolph Bracy gets a win in this year's budget for HBCUs. — "UF math program subtracted by DeSantis" via John Kennedy of The Gainesville Sun "Where's the beef? DeSantis slaughters funding for cattle research" via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The promised $750,000 for Florida's Cattle Enhancement Board couldn't be corralled. DeSantis slaughtered the recurring appropriation as part of a record $1.66 billion budget veto. The funding was earmarked for programs and research into expanded uses for beef and beef products. The idea was to strengthen Florida ranchers' market position in the state and nationwide. The House pushed this year to include the spending. While lacking the profile of citrus, cattle ranching delivers a $100-billion economic impact to Florida each year, making Florida one of the leading states for raising American cows. The Cattle Enhancement Board, founded in 2016, includes 20 members. Since its inception, it has been focused on education and research. "DeSantis strikes sturgeon farm funding from budget" via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — A $1.8 million appropriation for Sturgeon Aquafarms is now fish food, alongside another $1 billion worth of items excised from the budget by DeSantis. The funding would have helped the Jackson County-based sturgeon farm get back on its feet after Hurricane Michael wreaked havoc on operations nearly two years ago. Based in Bascom, Sturgeon Aquafarms is the only operation licensed and authorized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to grow, harvest, and export beluga sturgeon. For the uninitiated, beluga sturgeon are native to the Caspian and Black seas and are the source of beluga caviar, the most prized variety of fish roe.
— CORONA FLORIDA — "Hundreds line up for tests as Florida cities close beaches" via Tamara Lush of The Associated Press — Hundreds lined up at coronavirus testing sites around Florida on Monday, as the state remained in the virus's grip. St. Petersburg Police said on Twitter that a testing site located at Tropicana Field closed early because it was at capacity, shortly after 8 a.m. The site ran out of tests, officials said. In Jacksonville, more than 300 cars lined up for testing at the TIAA Bank Field. In South Florida, beaches and bars in are closing, just days before the normally busy Fourth of July weekend. Monroe County, which comprises the Florida Keys, said Monday it would close beaches. Fireworks shows have also been canceled in several cities, and some attractions are closing their doors as well.  COVID-19 testing sites around Florida were maxed out, as cities close beaches across the state. "Will schools mandate masks? The answer will not please everyone." via Jeffrey S. Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times — Officials said they will have masks for anyone who needs one, but they will not mandate masks as a way to stem the coronavirus spread. Citing costs and control as two factors, superintendent Addison Davis instead focused on encouraging masks. If families don't like that, he said, their children can take online classes at home. Officials say they want to ensure student and employee health for the coming academic year. They're tackling issues such as how to keep the airflow clean, sanitize high-touch areas and maintain adequate distances in tight spaces, such as buses. State law requires children ages 6 to 16 to attend school, and the state constitution calls for a system of free public education. As a result, parents from each side of the debate contend that they have the upper hand in the mask debate. "Prison visitation ban extended to mid-July" via the News Service of Florida — With the number of inmate cases of COVID-19 nearing 2,000, the Florida Department of Corrections extended a ban on prison visitors through July 15. The department first imposed the visitation ban in March to try to prevent the spread of the virus. It had been extended through June 28. The department said the "decision to reinstate the normal visitation schedule will be evaluated in consultation with public health experts. Inmates will continue to have access to their loved ones through mail, phone calls and video visitation." — CORONA LOCAL — "Sheriff: Doctor who exposed inmates, staff to COVID-19 failed to follow proper protocol" via Kelly Wiley of News4Jax — Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said he faults one jailhouse doctor, who failed to follow protocol, with spreading the novel coronavirus inside the largest detention facility in Jacksonville. In a matter of days, the number of inmates testing positive for the virus has jumped from two to 20 to 178 at its peak over the weekend. "We had done a great job up until, you know, we had one employee or contract employee not follow, you know, basic protocol and really started this whole chain," said Williams. " … It was one of the health care workers in the jail. They, obviously, have since been removed and are no longer an employee of the health care provider.  Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams breaks some bad news about his jail. "Miami to impose minimum 10-day shutdown for businesses violating COVID-19 regulations" via Joey Flechas and Ana Claudia Chacin of the Miami Herald — Businesses within Miami city limits will face mandatory multiday closures for violating emergency measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. Under a new emergency order expected to be issued Monday, businesses flouting rules that limit crowding and mandate the wearing of face masks could be shut down for 10 days for an initial violation, 15 days for a second offense and 30 days for a third. Mayor Francis Suarez told the Miami Herald that the city will impose stiffer penalties on individual establishments instead of reinstituting citywide closures, a step administrators are not taking yet. "COVID-19 didn't slow us down: Miami Beach is America's most active city, study says" via Connie Ogle of the Miami Herald — You may think you have turned into a couch potato due to the coronavirus, and that may be true. Netflix and eat has become the safest entertainment option these days. But if you live in Miami Beach, you are apparently are not living that slacking life because Miami Beach has been named the most active city in the United States. A new study from Rave Reviews is making this assertion. How did Rave come to this conclusion? As part of its Most Active Cities and States in America study, the website examined more than 2.3 million Instagram posts tagged with fitness, diet and body positivity-related hashtags. Then it created maps to see where each hashtag was most popular. "Miami Seaquarium says it's closing again because of coronavirus increase" via Michelle Marchante of the Miami Herald — The Miami Seaquarium reopened at limited capacity on June 20 after being closed for more than three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. New social distancing requirements similar to those of theme parks were put in place, including face coverings and temperature checks to reduce the risk of the novel coronavirus spread. But its reopening was short-lived. "In response to the recent and continued increase in positive COVID-19 tests locally and statewide, Miami Seaquarium has decided to temporarily close beginning Monday, June 29," according to a statement on its website. "The health and safety of our Guests, Team Members and the animals in our care is our top priority." "A South Florida company didn't pay required sick leave pay when a worker got COVID-19" via David J. Neal of the Miami Herald — An Opa-locka company that deals with environmental waste and cleanup ponied up $1,600 sick leave pay to a COVID-19 positive employee after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation, the agency announced. Labor's Wage and Hour Division found Raider Environmental Services hadn't paid a worker for sick leave time after that worker tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That's a violation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Labor said in a release, "Once the employer received clarification from (Wage and Hour) of (FFCRA) requirements, the employer immediately came into compliance and paid the back wages." "Beaches in the Keys will close this week in advance of July 4 due to COVID-19 spread" via Gwen Filosa of the Miami Herald — Florida Keys leaders Monday said they would uniformly close county and Key West beaches for the long July 4 holiday, starting at 5 p.m. Thursday. The news came as the Keys Monday reported a daily record high of positive cases of the novel coronavirus, 17, to make a new total of 236. That's more than double what the Keys had before it officially reopened to tourists on June 1 by taking down two checkpoints at the entrances to the island chain meant to keep out visitors. The beaches, including Higgs, Smathers and Rest beaches, are set to reopen the morning of Tuesday, July 7. "More than 50 test positive for COVID-19 at Apollo Health nursing home in St. Pete" via Rose Wong of the Tampa Bay Times — More than 50 people have tested positive for coronavirus at the Apollo Health and Rehabilitation Center. Ten employees and 41 residents of the center have contracted COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, according to Greystone Healthcare Management, the St. Pete nursing home's parent company. Last week, the eldercare center located on 24th Street N. reported zero cases among residents and only four employees who tested positive. At least five residents have been transported to area hospitals, health department records show. This guy — "Anthony Sabatini explains suing Hillsborough Co. over masks mandate" via Mitch Perry of Bay News 9 — Sabatini has rattled a few cages during his first term in the Florida House of Representatives. In the past week, he's been a one-man legal band in attempting to overturn face mask ordinances recently approved in the Sunshine State. Sabatini's latest lawsuit targets Hillsborough County, following the ordinance passed last week by the Emergency Policy Group that says that all business operators of indoor locations shall require all persons coming inside their establishment to wear a face covering. Sabatini says he doesn't have a problem with people wearing masks, especially the most vulnerable. "As 4th of July nears and coronavirus cases surge, Orange officials warn 'We don't want a repeat of Memorial Day'" via Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — Orange County officials urged residents to keep the coronavirus pandemic top of mind as they plan celebrations for the 4th of July after cases surged in the weeks after Memorial Day weekend. Nearly 80% of Orange County's total cases have come since the long holiday weekend that ended May 25, when health officials believe many people in Central Florida and across the country began to relax their own virus precautions and began to see friends and family again. In the weeks leading up to Memorial Day, Orange County saw weeks of single-digit cases each day and an overall positivity rate of less than 3%. Since then, cases have skyrocketed, even reaching more than 1,000 cases in a single day. "Seminole County issues face mask mandate" via WESH 2 — Seminole County officials have enacted a mask mandate that requires people to wear masks while in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The order says people working, living, visiting or doing business in Seminole County will be required to wear a face-covering consistent with CDC guidelines while at all businesses, places of assembly and other places open to the public. It goes into effect Wednesday. Seminole County joins Orange and Osceola counties and the city of Daytona Beach as the areas in Central Florida requiring the usage of a face covering.  Seminole County is joining the growing list of areas in Florida hat are requiring face masks indoors. "City of Sarasota makes masks mandatory" via Timothy Fanning of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — The city of Sarasota became the latest local government in Southwest Florida to require face coverings when people conduct business indoors in public spaces. Starting at midnight on Wednesday, anyone over 18 will be required to wear face coverings in any indoor establishment in Sarasota. People are also required to wear face masks outdoors when they're not able to social distance. The citywide ordinance will be active for two months and can be extended. "This is a bold decision," Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch, said regarding the response to a rise in COVID-19 cases locally and statewide. "This is our only tool at this point and we need to act and we need to act swiftly." "Florida State University to delay increasing the number of employees allowed on campus" via Byron Dobson of the Tallahassee Democrat — FSU is currently in the first phase of employee returns, meaning that no more than 25% of employees are allowed on campus at any time. That%age was expected to increase to a minimum of 25% and no more than 50% on July 6. "After reviewing recent increases in COVID-19 data, including a record-setting increase in Leon County over the weekend, the University will not be moving forward as anticipated to the next phase on July 6," Associate Vice President for Human Resources Renisha Gibbs said in a campus update. Gibbs said a new date will be determined, as information becomes available, adding that the delay has no effect on the university's reopening plan.
— CORONA NATION — "COVID-19 surge begins reaching older, more vulnerable Floridians" via Jonathan Levin of Bloomberg — Florida is reporting an unprecedented number of COVID-19 cases, but DeSantis has pointed to the relatively low median age of the sick, 36, to suggest that the outbreak isn't having serious clinical consequences. But now, record numbers of Floridians 75 and older are testing positive for COVID-19, according to the latest report from Sunday, which reflects data through Saturday. Older Floridians largely avoided the statewide uptick in cases earlier in the month. However, that has been changing in the past week. Florida hasn't seen a departure from its relatively low rate of COVID-19 deaths, but it can take weeks from onset of symptoms to death, and the surge in infections is recent. "Gilead sets price of coronavirus drug remdesivir at $3,120 as Trump administration secures supply for 500,000 patients" via Hannah Denham, Yasmeen Abutaleb and Christopher Rowland of The Washington Post — Gilead Sciences, the maker of the first COVID-19 treatment found to have worked in clinical trials, remdesivir, said Monday it will charge U.S. hospitals $3,120 for the typical patient with private insurance. Soon after the announcement, the Trump administration said it had secured nearly all of the company's supply of the drug for use in U.S. hospitals through September, with a contract for 500,000 treatment courses, which it will make available to hospitals at Gilead's price.  Gilead Sciences is selling its COVID-19 treatment for more than $3K per patient. Image via Reuters. "Pandemic unleashes a spike in overdose deaths" via Brianna Ehley of POLITICO — Top Trump administration officials say drug overdose deaths are surging amid the coronavirus pandemic, driven by increased substance use due to anxiety, social isolation and depression. A White House drug policy office analysis shows an 11.4% year-over-year increase in fatalities for the first four months of 2020, confirming experts' early fears that precautions like quarantines and lockdowns combined with economic uncertainty would exacerbate the addiction crisis. "The pandemic has caused my level of concern to go up," White House drug czar Jim Carroll said, acknowledging that overdose deaths were already starting to rise in the past year, after posting the first decline in three decades in 2018. — CORONA ECONOMICS — "Broadway suspends performances through 2020 amid coronavirus, extends ticket refunds to 2021" via Sara M. Moniuszko of USA Today — Broadway performances are being further suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Broadway League announced Monday in a news release that Broadway performances in New York City will be suspended through the remainder of 2020 due to COVID-19. Broadway theaters are also now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for all performances through January 3, 2021. Customers with tickets for performances through January 3, 2021, will receive an email with information regarding refund and exchange options. For customers who have not received an email by July 13, The Broadway League advises them to contact their point of purchase for assistance. — MORE CORONA — "The virus that shut down the world" via Anthony Faiola of The Washington Post — In April, global flights dropped to levels not seen since the 1970s. By May, every country in the world had imposed entry restrictions, ushering in a new era of global distancing. The pandemic is interrupting the flow of workers, money and goods that increasingly bound the postwar world, helped to lift more than a billion people out of poverty since the fall of the Berlin Wall and delivered unprecedented stability and prosperity to much of the planet. The last decade saw a resurgence of protectionism; global trade patterns and foreign direct investment never really got their groove back.  A woman wearing a protective face mask talks on her phone at the Central Business District in Beijing. China's manufacturing plunged in February as antivirus controls shut down much of the world's second-largest economy. Image via AP. "This coronavirus mutation has taken over the world. Scientists are trying to understand why." via Sarah Kaplan and Joel Achenbach of The Washington Post — When the first coronavirus cases in Chicago appeared in January, they bore the same genetic signatures as a germ that emerged in China weeks before. But as Egon Ozer, an infectious-disease specialist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, examined the genetic structure of virus samples from local patients, he noticed something different. A change in the virus was appearing again and again. This mutation, associated with outbreaks in Europe and New York, eventually took over the city. By May, it was found in 95% of all the genomes Ozer sequenced. At least four laboratory experiments suggest that the mutation makes the virus more infectious. Meanwhile … "Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China" via Michelle Roberts of the BBC — A new strain of flu that has the potential to become a pandemic has been identified in China by scientists. It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say. The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak. While it is not an immediate problem, they say, it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans and needs close monitoring. As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus.
— SMOLDERING — "Senate defense bill may challenge Donald Trump on renaming military bases with Confederate names" via Karoun Demirjian of The Washington Post — The Senate is poised to challenge Trump this week with legislation requiring the military to rename bases bearing the names of Confederate generals, a proposal that is shaping up to be one of the most contentious items in this year's annual defense bill. In the Senate, the main issue appears to be timing. A Republican bill calls for name changes within 3 years while a Democratic version calls for name changes within one year. Although there is still vocal opposition to removing the Confederate names at all Republican support for the change suggests that it will survive any challenges during this week's floor debate.  Proposals in the Senate would require the military to rename bases, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina, that are named after Confederate officers. Image via AP. "In court, Derek Chauvin's lawyers say officials have biased the case" via Tim Arango of The New York Times — The judge overseeing the case against four former Minneapolis police officers in the death of George Floyd told lawyers and local officials to be careful about what they say, warning that too much publicity could make it difficult to choose an impartial jury. While stopping short of issuing a formal gag order, Judge Peter A. Cahill of Hennepin County District Court warned that he would consider moving the trial if the parties involved leak information or offer opinions to the news media about the guilt or innocence of the defendants. "From this day forward, everyone has had their warning," Cahill said. Lawyers for the officers cited "multiple inappropriate public comments" from local officials that they said had already prejudiced potential jurors. "Leon County residents say — overwhelmingly — they see inequality in the community" via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Nine in 10 Leon County residents believe inequality exists in their community. The overwhelming majority indicated that they believed some form of inequality exists, with 86% highlighting inequality in the justice system. And 88% see a need for reform in the justice system. Residents also overwhelmingly believe law enforcement officers use more force against people of color than against White suspects, with 85% affirming that belief. Poor people are charged with crimes that wealthier people aren't arrested for, say 88%, and 89% believe people of color or poorer people receive longer prison sentences for the same crimes as White or wealthy people. "Man yelling 'white power' in video retweeted by Trump is ex-Miami-Dade firefighter" via David J. Neal of the Miami Herald — A Florida man caught yelling "white power" during a pro-Trump golf cart parade in a video retweeted on Sunday by the president, then deleted hours later, has been outed online as a former Miami-Dade County firefighter. One day later, his former department also took to Twitter to distance itself from Roger Stokes, a resident of The Villages, a massive retirement community an hour's drive northeast of Orlando. What a White House spokesman later claimed the President didn't hear comes eight seconds into the edited version Trump retweeted. "After offering 'Bubba Rope' for sale, track owner receives death threats, loses sponsors" via Cindy Boren of The Washington Post — A North Carolina racetrack lost two Carolina Sprint Tour races and all but two sponsors after its owner offered "Bubba Rope" for sale last week, days after a noose was found in the Talladega Superspeedway garage stall of Bubba Wallace, NASCAR's only Black driver in its elite Cup Series. Mike Fulp, owner of half-mile 311 Speedway in Pine Hall, had written Wednesday on Facebook Marketplace: "Buy your Bubba Rope today for only $9.99 each, they come with a lifetime warranty and work great." Fulp removed posts after criticism last week, but Saturday's races and promotion at the track that calls itself "The Daytona of Dirt" were canceled.
— D.C. MATTERS — "House Democrats to unveil climate plan calling for emissions cuts and New Deal-style jobs program" via Zachary T. Sampson of the Tampa Bay Times — The United States should cut carbon dioxide emissions to net-zero by 2050, reform its flood mapping program and restart the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps to prepare for climate change, a group of congressional Democrats wrote in a broad report expected to be released Tuesday. "While local communities and states and businesses take climate action, what's been missing is the federal government," Kathy Castor said. Castor, a land-use lawyer who worked for the agency that oversaw growth management in Florida, said she thinks Congress can find unity on climate change now more than a decade ago.  Kathy Castor believes there is more appetite for unity on climate change than a decade ago. Image via CQ/Roll Call. — STATEWIDE — "Ben Diamond slams GOP leadership for failing to call Special Session on budget" via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — "Under our state constitution, it is our responsibility as a Legislature to write our state budget. Because of the unprecedented challenges we currently face with the pandemic, it was my opinion that the Legislature should have reconvened in Special Session to rewrite HB 5001, the 2020-2021 General Appropriations Act," Diamond wrote to Senate President Bill Galvano and House Speaker José Oliva. "The revenue reports from April and May already demonstrate that the budget we passed, HB 5001, is obsolete, and should have been rewritten," the St. Petersburg Democrat continued. Instead, he said, Galvano and Oliva's failure to convene the Legislature for a Special Session left Gov. Ron DeSantis to "appropriate this money himself, without legislative authorization." "DeSantis applies Rob Bradley's sunscreen preemption" via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — DeSantis has blocked local governments from issuing their own ban on certain sunscreen products. That measure was a priority for Bradley, who detailed his own battle with skin cancer during the 2020 Session. But not all lawmakers, mostly Democrats, backed the measure, with some from both parties siding with local governments. After Key West banned the sale of certain sunblocks over fears some chemicals could degrade coral reefs, lawmakers filed legislation that would overrule that and future bans. The city had qualms with the effects of component ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate on the largest coral reef on the continent. Stuart and Miami Beach have mulled similar bans. Bradley's role as a senior lawmaker and Senate budget chief may have helped get the measure past the Governor's desk.  For his last Session, Rob Bradley gets a big win after Ron DeSantis signed his ban on sunscreen bans. "DeSantis signs bill allowing drones to target invasive wildlife species" via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — DeSantis added another tool to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission's tool-belt, signing a bill that would expand the use of drones by state agencies. The bill (HB 659,) sponsored by Rep. Jason Fischer, would allow state agencies, such as FWC, to use the aircraft over swamps and other people-free places where invasive species like pythons and other nuisances have proved problematic. The bill would also allow wildlife and forestry officials to use drones to track pythons, lygodium, and other invasive species inhabiting Florida's forests, wetlands, and wilderness spaces, often to the detriment of native wildlife. Law enforcement agencies, however, cannot utilize drones under this bill. "Automated pill kiosks now permitted at pharmacies after Governor's signature" via Ryan Nichol at Florida Politics — Gov. DeSantis has signed legislation (HB 59) allowing pharmacies to dispense medication through ATM-like kiosks. Those kiosks are already permitted at facilities such as long-term care homes and prisons. The machines will not dole out controlled substances, which can be addicting and are subject to more strict oversight. Democratic Rep. Matt Willhite sponsored the House version of the bill, which ultimately passed. "I am grateful for everyone that worked so hard to get this legislation all the way through the process," Willhite said. "Jimmy Patronis' committee threatens to sue Ronald Rubin for 'campaign of character assassination'" via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — The lawyer for CFO Patronis' political committee sent a letter to fired Office of Financial Regulation head Rubin warning him that if he and his attorney continue their "character assassination" campaign, they'll wind up in court. The letter specifically cites an accusation made by Rubin and Tein that the former's firing was "retaliation for Rubin's complaints about Patronis' illegal conduct." In the letter, Treasure Florida attorney William Spicola wrote that Rubin's allegations were unfounded and designed to distract from the controversy surrounding Rubin. The letter says the accusations were "knowingly false." If he doesn't recant them, Spicola wrote, "Patronis will take all available measures to protect his legal rights, including suing you for perjury and seeking damages." "Pension contribution hikes locked in" via Florida Politics staff reports — DeSantis signed the state budget Monday, ensuring substantial pension contribution increases for state government agencies, universities and school districts. The budget increases overall pension contributions by $404.6 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year, an order of magnitude higher than the increase approved for the fiscal year ending June 30. School districts account for the majority of the increase, about $233 million. Those increases are outlined in HB 5007, which the Governor is expected to sign. The increased financial burden comes alongside DeSantis' signature on the teacher pay raise bill, which will funnel $500 million in state money to local school districts, mostly to raise starting teacher pay, though $100 million will be used to increase salaries for veteran teachers. Justice — A Florida appeals court has dealt a devastating blow to Sarasota's controversial "To Catch a Predator"-style sex stings, ruling unanimously that deputies crossed the line and entrapped a man who wasn't looking to break the law, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The Sheriff's stings, which were exposed as deceptive and over-aggressive over the years by investigative reporter Noah Pransky, have put dozens of men behind bars for preying on children — even though they were never looking for children in the first place. The defendant who won his appeal reportedly spent four days talking to an undercover deputy, whom he thought was an adult, before she told him he was actually talking to a minor; even though he tried to disengage from the chat, deputies kept trying to convince him to "overcome his trepidation." "Justices decline to take up conservation fight" via Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida — In a blow to environmentalists, the Florida Supreme Court refused to take up a dispute about how money can be spent under a 2014 constitutional amendment aimed at land and water conservation. The dispute centered on allegations by backers of the constitutional amendment that the Legislature improperly used money that was targeted for conservation purposes. But the 1st District Court of Appeal last year sided with lawmakers. The Supreme Court, as is common, did not explain its reasons for declining to hear the case. But the decision effectively let stand the ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal. Chief Justice Charles Canady and justices Ricky Polston, Alan Lawson and Carlos Muniz were in the majority in Monday's decision, while Justice Jorge Labarga supported taking up the case. "Scooter case scuttled at Supreme Court" via the News Service Of Florida — The Florida Supreme Court declined to wade into a legal battle about a Panama City Beach decision to ban the rental of motorized scooters. Classy Cycles, Inc., went to the Supreme Court after the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld the ban. The decision effectively left standing the 1st District Court of Appeal ruling. The case stems from two ordinances passed in 2017 to prohibit the overnight rental of scooters and to completely prohibit scooter rentals effective Sept. 8, 2020. Classy Cycles, Inc., took the case to the appeals court after a Bay County circuit judge upheld the ordinances.  Panama City's ban on motorized scooters stands after the Supreme Court refused to take up the issue. "Poll: Public trusts farmers" via Morning Ag Clips — A new national opinion poll commissioned by the American Farm Bureau Federation indicates that the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens place trust in farmers and ranchers. The test of public attitudes found that 84% of respondents hold this opinion and almost 60% agree that the federal government should classify agriculture as a matter of national security to ensure stable food supplies. Such results should encourage Congress to maintain support for farm families suffering from substantial losses due to the COVID-19 crisis. Agricultural producers in Florida and across the country continue to grow food for everyone, despite the turmoil in the general economy.
"Trump's self-inflicted wound: Losing swing voters as he plays to his base" via Adam Nagourney of The New York Times — Trump has pursued policies and practiced politics with a single-minded focus on bedrock Republicans, showing little interest in appealing to independent voters. Trump's focus on his base at the expense of swing voters, who have historically been a key target for presidential campaigns, is almost certainly not enough to win him a second term in the White House, as even some Republicans concede. A poll showed Trump drawing 36% of the vote, a far cry from the 46% he won in 2016. Perhaps even more troubling for Trump is that he has not assembled a broad coalition of voters, which is critical to winning battleground states.  Donald Trump plays to his base, at the expense of swing voters. Image via Getty. "A Sun Belt time bomb threatens Trump's reelection" via Natasha Korecki and Marc Caputo of POLITICO — The explosion of COVID-19 cases in Sun Belt states is becoming another albatross for Trump's reelection hopes and creating a new opening for Joe Biden and Democrats in November. Republican governors in Florida, Arizona and Texas followed Trump's lead by quickly reopening their states while taking a lax approach to social distancing and mask-wearing. Now, each of them is seeing skyrocketing coronavirus caseloads and rising hospitalizations, and Republican leaders are in retreat. It's hard to overstate the gravity of the situation for Trump: Lose any one of the three states, and his reelection is all but doomed. "Some Trump allies push for campaign shake-up to revive president's imperiled reelection bid" via Ashley Parker, Robert Costa and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post — Some Trump advisers and allies are privately pushing for sweeping changes to the campaign, including the idea of a major staff shake-up and trying to convince the president to be more disciplined in his message and behavior. But so far, the campaign has settled only on incremental changes, such as hiring and elevating a handful of operatives who worked on Trump's upset victory in 2016 and has yet to settle on a clear message for his reelection. Campaign officials and other advisers are also still struggling with how to best focus their attacks on Biden, which so far has been scattershot and failed to curb his rise among voters. "Trump's July Fourth celebration: No tanks, lots of planes" via Lara Seligman of POLITICO — Trump's second annual Independence Day celebration will feature one major change from last year: It will have no tanks or other military equipment on static display in the nation's capital, according to two defense officials. Defense Secretary Mark Esper last week approved an Interior Department request for the 2020 "Salute to America," providing aerial, musical and ceremonial support to the day's events, said Army Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell, a Pentagon spokesperson. This year, the festivities will also include a flyover of Mount Rushmore as well as an "aerial salute" to several cities that played roles in the American Revolution.  Donald Trump's July 4 celebrations will be heavy on planes, light on tanks. Image via AP. "More than 18,000 mail ballots not counted in Florida's March presidential primary" via Allison Ross of the Tampa Bay Times — More than 18,000 Floridians who voted by mail in March's presidential primary did not have their votes counted, according to an analysis done by a group of national elections experts and academics. The numbers of uncounted mail ballots, while relatively small, could prove crucial come November. The youngest voters were most likely during the March presidential preference primary to have their ballots not counted, the analysis found, with 3.56% of mail ballots submitted by people aged 18 to 29 being rejected, nearly three times the overall rejection rate. — CONVENTION COUNTDOWN — "Florida's coronavirus outbreak complicates Republican convention, Trump's reelection bid" via David Smiley and Francesca Chambers of the Miami Herald — When Vice President Pence, the head of the White House coronavirus task force, returns to Florida Thursday, he'll find a much different situation than when he last visited in late May. Florida at the time was reopening restaurants and gyms. Politicians were paving the way for the Republican National Convention to relocate from Charlotte. And the state — a must-win this November for Trump — was hailed by Fox News anchors as a conservative success story. But as Pence prepares to return to Florida to reassess the situation, the state's coronavirus outbreak is escalating to new levels, complicating Trump's reelection campaign and clouding the outlook for the convention.  When VP Mike Pence visits Florida, it will be entirely different from his last visit. "Jacksonville to order mask-wearing ahead of GOP convention" via Marc Caputo of POLITICO — Jacksonville, where the Republican National Convention is slated to be held in August, is planning to institute a citywide mask order to stem the spread of coronavirus. The announcement, scheduled for noon, requires indoor-mask wearing only, not an outside mandate that other local governments in Florida have passed. Jacksonville is unlike any other municipality in the state because the sprawling city essentially encompasses all of Duval County in northeast Florida. "Healthcare experts say it mitigates risk and city hall learned military installations in Jacksonville are mandating it as well," a source said of Lenny Curry's thinking.
— MORE FROM THE TRAIL — "3 Marion County electeds back Ryan Chamberlin for CD 3" via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Chamberlin picked up a trio of endorsements in his bid for the Republican nomination in Florida's 3rd Congressional District. The new backers: Marion County Tax Collector George Albright, Sen. Dennis Baxley and former Marion County Commissioner Mike Amsden. "Ryan Chamberlain is a businessman and family man with the real-world experience so desperately needed today in Washington. We need someone who clearly understands what Congressional action means for working families back home, and Ryan fits the bill," Albright said. The nods bolster Chamberlin's support within Marion, which is home to about a fifth of the district's 209,000 Republicans.  Ryan Chamberlin nabbed a trio of key Marion County endorsements. "Scott Franklin's congressional bid scrambles Polk Republicans' support for Ross Spano" via Gary White of The Ledger — The Harrell family's financial support helped U.S. Rep. Spano gain office in 2018, and when Spano launched his reelection campaign the Harrells again opened their checkbooks. Jack Harrell, a prominent backer of local Republicans, contributed $2,700 to Spano's campaign last August, and three months later his son, Will Harrell, gave $250. Now, though, the Harrells are putting their money behind a candidate seeking to deny Spano a bid for a second term in Congress — Franklin, a Lakeland City Commissioner who surprised many by entering the Republican primary for District 15 in March. — "Franklin works quickly to balance money disadvantage" via Gary White of The Ledger — "Interview: Democratic primary candidates for state Senate, District 9" via the Orlando Sentinel editorial board "Endorsement: For Florida Senate, Tina Polsky better suited than Irv Slosberg for issues we face" via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — The Florida Senate District 29 seat came open late. Incumbent Kevin Rader, a Democrat, announced three weeks before the June 12 qualifying deadline that he would not seek a new term. Rader wants state Rep. Polsky to succeed him. One day after Rader's announcement, Polsky abandoned her reelection campaign for the House District 81 seat and switched to the Senate race. Then Slosberg filed on the same day to run in the Aug. 18 primary. This moment in Florida, however, demands new thinking to deal with COVID-19 and racial injustice. Polsky is more prepared to supply it. Slosberg's history is one of self-promotion. Given the challenges ahead, the Legislature needs someone with solutions for these times. Happening tonight:
"Anna Eskamani endorses Omari Hardy as he seeks to oust Al Jacquet in HD 88" via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Eskamani is backing a challenger to one of her House colleagues, as she is endorsing Hardy in House District 88. Hardy currently serves as a Lake Worth Beach Commissioner and is competing against incumbent Rep. Jacquet in the HD 88 Democratic primary. On Monday, Eskamani called Hardy "a passionate advocate for his community and a true fighter" who leads with "integrity, thoughtfulness, [and] carries with him a deep commitment to service and a focus on delivering results." Hardy and Jacquet have been combative throughout the primary season. In February, Jacquet was forced to apologize after directing an anti-gay slur at Hardy. "Broward Teachers Union endorses Brian C. Johnson in HD 101" via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — The Broward Teachers Union is endorsing Democratic candidate Johnson in the race for House District 101. "As your State Representative, I won't stop fighting until all teachers and school personnel across the state are paid like the heroes they are and are given adequate tools to educate our children," Johnson said. "The Broward Teachers Union can be confident that they'll have an experienced and fearless representative with them in Tallahassee." Johnson also touted his own experience helping turn around Sunland Park Academy in Fort Lauderdale. Just five years ago, that facility was an F-rated school. "Future Florida Republican House leader attacked by PAC funded by current House Speaker" via David Smiley of the Miami Herald — A political committee that has received hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by outgoing Republican Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva is attacking future House Republican leader Daniel Anthony Perez over a trip he took several years ago to Cuba. Mailers and social media ads calling Perez "a Disgrace to Republicans and Our Exile Community" hit mailboxes in Miami and Facebook news feeds in recent days. The ads were produced by Citizens for Ethical and Effective Leadership, which has $400,000 since May from Conservative Principles for Florida, a political committee chaired by Oliva. Perez and Oliva declined to comment. "Ad seeks to link former Sheriff Scott Israel with Trump and hammers him for ties to Roger Stone" via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — A campaign ad for Sheriff Gregory Tony is reminding Broward Democratic primary voters of former Sheriff Israel's ties to Stone, the notorious political dirty trickster and decadeslong associate of Trump. Driving home the point, the ad hints at a connection between Israel and Trump. It shows a picture of a smiling Trump and Israel. The president is giving his familiar thumbs-up sign and so is Israel. The hard-hitting mailer is among a half-dozen mailers so far produced by a Tony political committee, Broward First. Epilogue — "Andrew Gillum fundraising panel spends $52K on crisis management after Miami Beach incident" via Jeffrey Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat — Gillum's fundraising panel has spent just over $52,000 on a high-powered New Jersey PR firm that specializes in crisis management since he was found in a Miami Beach hotel room with drugs and an alleged male escort. Forward Florida, the political committee that helped fund Gillum's unsuccessful 2018 run paid the amount in three installments to MWW Group LLC between March 31 and June 15. That's on top of more than $1 million in legal fees he's spent dealing with an ongoing federal investigation of his gubernatorial campaign and a Massachusetts nonprofit.
— OPINION — "DeSantis makes good on his promise" via the Sun Port Charlotte — Give DeSantis credit for keeping his word and pushing through a significant raise for our teachers. With the coronavirus pandemic taking a huge bite of Florida's revenues, there were some anxious moments the past couple of months whether or not the highly anticipated pay raise for teachers would actually happen. Losses in sales tax revenues could siphon as much as $4 billion from the state's projected income by fall. Since state businesses, including the theme park money machines, began shutting down, the state has lost around $500 million a month in revenue. It had lawmakers scratching their heads how the losses would be made up. The one-time $900 million budget request for teachers shrunk to $500 million and some questioned if even that would be a pandemic victim. "Joe Henderson: If COVID-19 taught anything, it's not to hold graduation ceremonies" via Florida Politics — The question is whether Florida high school students in the class of 2020 should proceed with in-person graduations in the face of COVID-19. The answer is simple, and it's not multiple choice. No, they should not. Yeah, that stinks. It also stunk for advocates of $1 billion worth of programs eliminated Monday by DeSantis. This year, almost everyone loses. Hillsborough County has a tentative graduation schedule for 37 schools beginning July 8. The vast majority are scheduled for the Florida State Fairgrounds. And even with social distancing and other restrictions, it's not a stretch to see how COVID-19 can spread there. "I would probably say it's not a good idea to do this," Hillsborough School Board member Steve Cona said. — TODAY'S SUNRISE — Florida's Department of Health reported more than 5,200 cases of coronavirus Monday — which was good news (in a perverse sort of way). We've averaged more than 9,000 new cases for each of the past three days, so 5,000 seems kind of tame, given the circumstances. Also, on today's Sunrise: — The state reported 28 additional fatalities Monday, bringing the state's total number of COVID-19 deaths to at least 3,546. — Gov. DeSantis finally issued his line-item vetoes for the new state budget, which takes effect tomorrow — slicing more than a billion dollars from the bottom line. — Those vetoes intend to beef up state reserves that have taken a hit during the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic. But Democrats in the legislature are fuming, upset they had no say in the process. — Sunrise takes a deep dive into the Governor's budget cuts — and the cuts he did not make — as well as the reaction from Democrats who were cut out of the process. — And the latest with Florida Man, who removed his pants when asked to cover his face with a mask. And the guy yelling "white power" in that video retweeted by the President? Guess which state he's from. To listen, click on the image below: — INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY — — ALOE — "Cirque Du Soleil could open this fall in Disney Springs, even as company files bankruptcy" via Gabrielle Russon of the Orlando Sentinel — The new Cirque Du Soleil show at Disney Springs could potentially open this fall while the Montreal-based circus arts show company seeks to reorganize financially under U.S. Chapter 15 bankruptcy laws. Cirque du Soleil filed for creditor protection in Canada on Monday while it develops a plan to restart its business amid the pandemic. The company said it has terminated 3,480 employees who had been furloughed since March but expects to resume its resident shows in Orlando and Las Vegas before the company shows start up. "Historic steam engine rides again in Clewiston" via Stephanie Byrne of WINK — A 100-year-old steam engine has been given new life with an eco-friendly twist in Southwest Florida. From the bell to the whistle, engine number 148 attracts attention. "People across the country, rail fans, followed the progress. They posted pictures, video, she has her own Facebook page," said Judy Sanchez, senior director of corporate communications and public affairs at U.S. Sugar. The Clewiston-based company repurchased and restored the 100-year-old steam locomotive in 2016, calling it the "Sugar Express." "We start up the locomotive with diesel and then we switch it over to recycled vegetable oil as soon as it comes up to temperature," said Bob Lawson, general manager of harvesting and railroad operations at U.S. Sugar and South Central Florida Express.  A century-old steam engine gets a new, eco-friendly life in Clewiston. Image via Fox4Now. "Jack Kerouac's St. Petersburg home has been sold" via Paul Guzzo of the Tampa Bay Times — or the first time in more than five decades, the St. Petersburg home at 5169 10th Ave. N is not directly linked to Kerouac or his family. Kerouac's family sold the late beatnik writer's retirement home on Friday for $220,000 to a company that specializes in flipping houses. There had been yearslong negotiations between the family and a local nonprofit that wanted to turn the 1,760-square-foot house into a writer's retreat dedicated to the On The Road author. But the group could not come up with the money in time. At their request, a local nonprofit, Friends of the Jack Kerouac House, became the home's caretakers in 2013 and held fundraisers to pay for the upkeep. Two years later, the owner offered to sell it to the nonprofit for $500,000. — HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Celebrating today are Reps. Travis Cummings and Erin Grall. Best wishes to Adam's better half, Beth Babington, Kelly Mallette, and Carrie DiMuzio Madden. ___ Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, A.G. Gancarski, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson. |
| Leicester becomes first British city to have draconian lockdown measures reimposed - Telegraph.co.uk Posted: 29 Jun 2020 04:09 PM PDT  New type of swine flu 'has pandemic potential'Researchers in China have discovered a new type of swine flu that is capable of triggering a pandemic, according to a study published in the US science journal PNAS. Named G4, it is genetically descended from the H1N1 strain that caused a pandemic in 2009. It possesses "all the essential hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans," say the authors, scientists at Chinese universities and China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2011 to 2018, researchers took 30,000 nasal swabs from pigs in slaughterhouses in 10 Chinese provinces and in a veterinary hospital, allowing them to isolate 179 swine flu viruses. The authors called for urgent measures to monitor people working with pigs.  944 coronavirus cases in Leicester in two weeksIn a statement, Leicester City Council said there have been 944 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the city in the past two weeks. The statement said an indoor testing centre is due to open on Tuesday at the Highfields Community Centre, with further testing sites planned. The council said it is reviewing its plans to extend the opening of its own buildings such as libraries, museums and children's centres. The city's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "These measures are stricter than we anticipated but we understand the need for firm action. I am determined that we will make this work and to minimise the time these additional measures need to be in place in the city. "We will of course continue to play our part in keeping people in the city safe and healthy." 'We can't be complacent' says Leicestershire Council leaderReacting to the new lockdown restrictions in Leicester, Nick Rushton, the leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: "Protecting residents is our main concern and we're working closely with Leicester City Council and the Government to bring down the number of cases. "Clearly coronavirus does not adhere to lines on a map. And although county rates are below the national and regional averages, we can't be complacent and it makes sense to step up restrictions in areas closer to the city. "This is the first localised lockdown on this scale and undoubtedly there will be issues to iron out. "I understand this is disappointing news for residents, parents of schoolchildren and businesses when most of the country is opening back up but it's crucial that people follow the latest advice. Hopes for using HIV drug to treat Covid dashed in latest studyAn antiviral drug used to treat HIV and earmarked as a potential Covid-19 treatment is ineffective at treating the disease, a major study has indicated. Lopinavir-ritonavir showed "no beneficial effect" in hospitalised patients not on ventilators, according to the University of Oxford's Recovery trial - the world's largest randomised clinical trial (RCT) of potential Covid-19 treatments. Many countries which currently recommend the drug should revise their guidelines in the wake of the results, experts said, as they pulled the medication from the trial. Some 1,596 patients were randomised to receive the drug and were compared with 3,376 patients randomised to receive standard hospital care, researchers said. Of these patients, some 4 per cent required invasive mechanical ventilation when they entered the trial, 70 per cent required oxygen alone, and 26 per cent did not require any respiratory intervention. The results showed "no significant difference in the primary endpoint of 28-day mortality", the Recovery trial said. 'We need customers back in': Businesses criticise Leicester lockdownThe Government's extension of Leicester's lockdown has been criticised by businesses - saying the measures "won't make a difference". Non-essential shops in Leicester must close from Tuesday and schools are also set to close to most pupils from Thursday. Robin Dignall, the owner of Hair@1RD hairdressers in the city centre, told the PA news agency from a business point of view, he "needs to get the customers back in". He said: "We were all geared up ready to open on July 4 but, from reading the Government guidelines, they clearly haven't consulted anybody in our profession. "The furthest we can work away from someone is 0.5 metres and they are telling us our clients don't have to wear masks and we don't have to wear masks - just a visor. "Obviously money's going out but there's nothing coming in at the moment so from a business point of view yes, we do need to get the customers back in. "But I'm not willing to put my health or anybody else's health and safety at risk." Rakesh Parmar, who owns Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe in the city centre, said the further restrictions will affect him "financially very, very badly". He said: "The impact of coronavirus hit us on March 23, we closed for 10 weeks, and then opened again on June 15 - it's been one long slog. "At the end of the day, it's got to be done for everyone's safety. It's got to be done." Leicester lockdown was decided by officials in the last two hoursMatt Hancock said the decision to close down Leicester was taken within the last two hours. "Within two hours of the final decisions being taken, I have come to this House...in order to set the decisions out immediately," he said. The powers the Government requires to close down the city again will be brought forward in a statutory instrument soon, he said. Ashworth: Whack-a-mole strategy 'risks no moles getting whacked' Jon Ashworth, the Shadow Health Secretary, who represents a constituency in Leicester, said the problem there was made clear 11 days ago. Mr Ashworth highlighted Boris Johnson's "whack-a-mole" strategy on dealing with the virus and said the Government needed to move faster to control localised outbreaks or "we risk no moles getting whacked". He highlighted issues with centrally-collected data on the pandemic not being shared with local councils in charge of planning public health responses to outbreaks. "Can we resolve whatever the issues are around the data sharing protocols so if there are flare-ups in other cities, local authorities can get data at speed?" he asked. Leicester made up ten per cent of cases over the last week, Health Secretary says"When Public Health England or the new JBC identify clusters that are linked to one another, that is defined as an outbreak," the Health Secretary said. "A range of local and national actions may be needed." Mr Hancock said Leicester accounted for around ten per cent of all positive cases in the country over the past week. "Admissions to hospital are between six and ten a day, rather than one a day at other trusts," he said. Government to crack down on workplace outbreaks in Leicester The Goverment will crack down on workplaces in Leicester that have seen outbreaks of the virus to make sure that Covid-secure guidelines are followed, Matt Hancock said. "We will work with the workplaces that have seen clusters of cases to implement more stringently the Covid-secure guidelines," he said. Local lockdown in Leicester will give virus 'nowhere to hide', says HancockMr Hancock said the new measures in Leicester would give the virus "nowhere to hide" and prevent the outbreak from spreading any further. "We said that we would do whatever it takes to defeat this virus," he said. "And we said that local action would be an increasingly important part of our plan. "We know that the virus thrives on social contact and we know that reducing social contact will reduce its spread. "Precise and targeted actions like these will give the virus nowhere to hide and help us defeat this invisible killer." BREAKING: Leicester placed back into lockdownMatt Hancock is speaking in the House of Commons about the outbreak of coronavirus in Leicester. The Government is taking the following steps to control the virus:
Merkel and Macron push for Covid recovery fundAngela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron have called for a "strong" and "efficient" coronavirus recovery fund for the European Union, urging a deal to be sealed next month. The two leaders met for talks at the German government retreat in Meseberg, days before Germany takes on the rotating presidency of the bloc with an economy mired in the worst crisis since World War II. Berlin's chairing of the 27-member bloc will be the last with Merkel in charge, and could be the one that defines the legacy of the leader dubbed the "eternal chancellor". With the future of the bloc's relationship with Britain still to be determined, a shift to a lower-carbon world in the balance and deteriorating US-China ties all jostling for attention, there is no shortage of issues to tackle. New planning laws will allow pints on the street in just ten days A streamlined application process will enable pubs and restaurants to get permission for on-street dining in around 10 days. Outlining reforms aimed at boosting the hospitality sector as it prepares to reopen on July 4, Business Secretary Alok Sharma stressed there were safeguards for local councils to refuse applications if they block the highway. The new measures, which have cross-party support, form part of the Government's Covid recovery plan, which former Tory minister Caroline Nokes criticised as being "designed by men for men" as she questioned why barbers could open but not beauty bars. Speaking during the second reading of the Business and Planning Bill, Mr Sharma said: "Public safety and access for disabled people using pavements is of course absolutely vital, so I can confirm that local authorities will be able to refuse or revoke licences where appropriate." He added: "There are safeguards in place. This extension will not include premises that have been denied off-sale permission, or had it removed, within the last three years." Matt Hancock live here at 9pmWe're expecting a statement from the Health Secretary in the House of Commons at just after 9pm tonight. Matt Hancock will give an update on the situation in Leicester, where the Government is expected to impose lockdown restrictions for longer to control a localised outbreak of the virus. Watch his statement live here. Comment: A Tory spending splurge can't make up for the damage to our children's educationBoris Johnson's wheeze to fix the corona-hobbled economy with a massive school building programme has the codename "Project Speed". It may as well be "Project Spend" - or even "Project Splurge," writes Rosa Prince.
'Worrying' trend of new cases in Ireland, says Chief Medical OfficerThe number of reported new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland has begun to increase in a "worrying" trend, the chief medical officer warned, which could halt plans for further easing of restrictions. At least six fresh diagnoses were associated with international travel, the Government's top health advisers said, as they reiterated warnings against encouraging overseas tourism too soon. Some new clusters have been established, and one in the north west of the Republic involved travel links with Iraq, said Tony Holohan, the doctor leading the state's pandemic response. He said: "We are starting to see a worrying trend, with the number of reported cases increasing, and some new clusters." More than 1.1 million cases were reported globally last week. The Republic had driven down the number of infections but medical experts have warned against non-essential travel and cautioned young people against ignoring lockdown restrictions or thinking coronavirus was defeated. There were no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre on Monday. There have now been 1,735 Covid-19 related deaths. Schools could introduce year group 'bubbles' to bring children back to classroomsSchools in England could create "year bubbles" of up to 240 pupils under Government plans to ensure all children can return to the classroom safely in September. Primary school class sizes are currently capped at 15 pupils to reduce the number of interactions between young children, but these so-called "bubbles" are set to be doubled to 30 pupils. In secondary schools, bubbles of entire year groups could be introduced to limit the number of interactions with pupils of other ages, according to the draft proposals seen by the Huffington Post. Students will be told to sit at desks facing forwards in the same direction, rather than at circular tables, when all children return to school in the autumn, reports suggest. There could be a greater focus on the core subjects of English and maths to help pupils catch up, as well as on tackling disruptive behaviour following lockdown, according to the Huffington Post report. Basics are most important tool in fighting Covid-19, says WHO Simple and basic public health measures such as hand washing and mask wearing are the world's best bet at beating the coronavirus, the World Health Organization said today. "Of course we should look for vaccines and the rest but the simple and basic public health measures work the best," director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the WHO press briefing this evening. "Our advice from WHO is we should do everything we can using the tools we have at hand. The basics are still important and the basics are non-pharmaceutical. Already they have shown their effectiveness of suppressing this virus," he said. While the world anxiously awaits the development of a coronavirus vaccine, "reducing transmission and suppressing infection is the best strategy for stopping this disease," agreed Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme. 174,000 face eviction at the end of suspension, says ShelterTens of thousands of households have left their rental properties at their landlords' request since March and 174,000 face eviction in the coming months, MPs have been told. Ruth Ehrlich, a policy officer at Shelter, said there will be "a lot of movement" from the private rental sector and urged the Government to ensure renters are protected when the ban on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic is lifted. The extension of the moratorium on evictions until August 23, announced in early June, brought some "welcome time" to work out what will happen once it finally lifts, Ms Ehrlich said. At this point, there will be a backlog of court cases where possession proceedings were paused in March, as well as new cases unable to be heard during the five-month suspension, she told the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. She continued: "It's difficult to estimate exactly how many people are going to be evicted but we have conducted some polling via YouGov that suggests that there has already been significant movement out of the sector since March, so 58,000 households have left since March at their landlords' request. "And we know that 174,000 renters have been told by their landlord that they are going to be evicted in the coming months. "So, there is going to be a lot of movement, and what is now urgent is that Government takes steps to protect renters before that suspension comes to an end. 'Second wave' is an unhelpful concept, top infectious disease expert warns Using the term "second wave" to describe a resurgence of coronavirus infections is "mistaken" and encourages dangerous misconceptions about the trajectory of the pandemic, according to one of America's top infectious disease experts. Dr Tom Frieden, who served as director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for eight years under Barack Obama, told The Telegraph that the term "implies that this [virus] will act as the flu acts". "We don't know that - it might, but it might not," he said. "Basically we will have outbreaks as long as there is exposure." Instead he advocated a surfing analogy - peaks and troughs in cases should be described as "riding a wave". Find out more about this story here - or you can read the full Q&A with Dr Frieden here, where he also discussed face masks, 'armchair epidemiology' and US CDC's curtailed role during the pandemic. Couples will have to wash hands after exchanging rings at absurd new Covid weddingsCouples planning to tie the knot when coronavirus restrictions are eased next month should wash their hands before and after exchanging rings, according to new Government guidance. The advice for England states that no more than 30 people should attend a marriage or civil partnership from July 4, and social distancing rules must be obeyed. As part of the lockdown imposed in March, all social events were stopped - including weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies. Receptions or parties after weddings should not take place, but small celebrations - with groups of up to two households indoors, or up to six people from different households outdoors - will be permitted. Services should be concluded in the "shortest reasonable time", and the guidance states: "Where the exchanging of rings is required or desired for the solemnisation of the marriage or the formation of the civil partnership, hands should be washed before and after. Leicester lockdown looks increasingly likelySpeaking to the PA news agency after his conversation with Matt Hancock, Sir Peter Soulsby, Leicester Mayor, said the Government was still "minded to extend the current level of restrictions for two weeks". The Labour mayor said he "remains sceptical" and said his discussion with Mr Hancock "took matters no further" than the report he received in the early hours of Monday morning. Sadiq Khan calls for clarity on local lockdown powersThe Mayor of London has called on the Government to provide more clarity on what powers and resources will be available to manage local Covid-19 outbreaks. Sadiq Khan has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock asking what additional resources will be made available to regional and local governments to support the management of local outbreaks of coronavirus. In the letter, seen by the PA news agency and sent on Monday, Mr Khan said that in order to prevent further "loss of life on the scale we have already seen" local areas must be able to respond "quickly and dynamically" to outbreaks to prevent them from becoming a regional or national second wave. He asked Mr Hancock for clarity on what devolved powers were available to enforce local measures such as asking people to stay home and not meet other people. Mr Hancock's statement to the House of Commons on the Leicester situation is expected shortly after 9pm tonight. Conspiracy theories by Russian and Chinese journalists are rife in France and Germany, finds reportCoronavirus misinformation spread by Russian and Chinese journalists is finding a bigger audience on social media in France and Germany than content from the European nations' own premier news outlets, according to new research. Whether it is distorted coverage or outright conspiracy theories, articles written in French and German by foreign state media are resonating widely on Facebook and Twitter, often with their origins unclear, the Oxford Internet Institute said in a report published today. The institute, which is part of Oxford University, looked at content generated by leading media outlets from Russia and China, as well as from Iran and Turkey - all of which are state-controlled or closely aligned to regimes in power. Its report comes as the US government imposes new restrictions on Chinese state media, and builds on previous research by the institute that laid bare the penetration of such foreign outlets in English-language markets. In their French, German as well as Spanish output, state media groups have "politicised the coronavirus by criticising Western democracies, praising their home countries, and promoting conspiracy theories about the origins of the virus," the institute said. Our cartoonist's take on Boris and his press-upsReaders may have noticed some strange photos of Boris Johnson doing press-ups in his interview with the Mail on Sunday, published yesterday. The stunt spilled over into the Commons earlier today, when Sir Keir Starmer appeared to challenge the PM to a first-to-50 competition when they next meet. Matt, as ever, has the essential take in less than 20 words.  Fancy a staycation?Hotels in Britain are re-opening on July 4, albeit with a heavy list of additional restrictions. Many Brits are looking to holiday closer to home this year, as the Government works out the finer details of its "air bridge" plan for people to holiday abroad without having to self-isolate (see 17.16). Here are some of our favourite hotel spots you should consider. France ends weekend data reporting amid decline of new casesThe number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 35 to 29,813 over the last three days, health authorities have announced. Hospitalisations for the disease have followed their long-running downward trend. For the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, no daily figures were given over the weekend by the authorities, who said that would now be the new procedure. Matt Hancock statement on Leicester is delayed until at least 9pmMatt Hancock's statement on the localised lockdown of Leicester is delayed until at least 9pm tonight. The Health Secretary will give an update to MPs on the situation, which could see the current restrictions stay in place for another two weeks after July 4 in the city. We'll bring you the latest on this story as it develops into the evening. Air bridges are on their way, confirms Transport SecretaryThe Government is setting up air bridges to countries where UK citizens will not have to self-isolate on arrival or return, Grant Shapps has confirmed. The full list of countries will be released this week but people travelling should not be "complacent" and should still take precautions against catching or spreading the virus, he said. Read his full statement in this tweet. Coronavirus crisis 'not even close to being over' warns WHO chiefThe Covid-19 pandemic is not even close to being over, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, has said. Dr Tedros noted at today's briefing that, six months after China first alerted the WHO to a novel respiratory infection, the grim milestones of 10 million confirmed infections and 500,000 deaths had been reached. "Most people remain susceptible, the virus still has a lot of room to move," he said. "We all want this to be over. We all want to get on with our lives. But the hard reality is that this is not even close to being over. Although many countries have made some progress globally, the pandemic is actually speeding up." In the meantime, countries could fight the spread of the disease by testing, isolating confirmed cases and tracking their contacts, Mike Ryan, head of the emergencies programme, said. He singled out Japan, South Korea and Germany for their "comprehensive, sustained strategy" against the virus. The WHO plans to convene a meeting this week to assess progress in research towards fighting the disease, Dr Tedros said. We are watching for face masks like the Eye of Sauron, say policeThe British Transport Police have just posted this bizarre tweet in which they compare themselves to the Eye of Sauron, the all-seeing floating eye from the Lord of the Rings franchise. Fans of the films will remember that "one does not simply" travel unsafely during a major crisis... Any hobbits using trains or buses to complete their quests would do well to remember the Government's travel guidelines. WHO: There is no guarantee of success of a Covid vaccineThe World Health Organisation press conference on coronavirus has just started. The WHO sees tremendous work towards finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent Covid-19, but there are no guarantee of success, the head of its emergencies programme, Mike Ryan, said. More updates as we get them. Republicans break with Trump to urge citizens: 'Wear a mask!'Republican lawmakers are making a public push for face coverings, splitting with mask-averse Donald Trump on the issue, as Covid-19 cases surge in some Republican-leaning states. The top Republican in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, said today that every American has a responsibility to follow recommendations to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. "They should wear a mask," McCarthy told CNBC after his home state of California began to roll back efforts to reopen the economy. "If you cannot social distance, you need to be wearing a mask and you need to be respectful to one another." Tim Scott, a Republican Senator in South Carolina, where cases are spiking, posted a similar message on Twitter. Fire in Egyptian hospital kills seven coronavirus patientsA fire at a hospital in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria on Monday killed seven coronavirus patients, security and medical sources have told the AFP news agency. Seven other people were injured in the blaze, believed to be caused by a malfunctioning air conditioner in an area designated for isolating Covid-19 patients, the sources said. Firefighters stopped it spreading to other hospital buildings, and ambulances were dispatched to transfer patients to other medical facilities, the state-run newspaper Akhbar al-Youm reported. The victims died of suffocation and hospital staff were among those injured, according to local media. Egypt's prosecutor-general said in a statement that it has launched an investigation into the incident focusing on the technical specifications of the private hospital's intensive care unit. Dublin pub landlord says pulling pints again is as good as 'getting married' A Dublin publican compared Monday to his wedding day as he welcomed back his regulars after months of lockdown. Pints are being pulled across Ireland again after pubs and bars that serve food were able to open for the first time since mid-March. But post-lockdown pub life is very different to what went before. Many establishments have divided up their floor-space with partitions to ensure social distancing compliance. Punters have to book a table in advance and standing waiting for your drink at the bar is no longer allowed, with all custom now conducted by table service. Niall Lawless, the owner of Mary Mac's in south Dublin, said it had been a very hard few months. "Publicans and bar staff are very much social beings and we enjoy being out and we enjoy interacting with our customers, it's what we do well," he said. "And to be sitting at home looking at the four walls has certainly been trying, as my wife would tell you." "This morning coming in it felt like I was getting married again," he said. "It was great to be coming in." ICU doctor urges Government to study effects of 'long term Covid' An intensive care doctor who has been suffering from coronavirus symptoms from more than three months is calling on the Government to launch a study on the effects of "long-term Covid". Jake Suett, 31, began suffering from chest pains and shortness of breath on March 20, but he is still experiencing them and has been unable to return to work. Dr Suett, an ICU doctor in Norfolk, was tested for Covid-19 four weeks after falling ill and the results came back negative. "What I'm struggling with at the moment is mainly cardiac-type chest pain and shortness of breath, which is fairly debilitating at times," he said. "It comes in waves but it never goes away completely; at one point I struggled to do normal activities like washing up." Dr Suett has joined more than 4,000 members of the Long Covid Support Group on Facebook, where other sufferers share their experiences of long-term symptoms. Do not shut Scotland off from the rest of the UK, say Tories The Scottish Tories have called for Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, to rule out shutting Scotland off from England to control the spread of the virus. At the daily press briefing today, Ms Sturgeon did not commit to keeping the border open. Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said: "The First Minister needs to rule out any attempt to close off Scotland from the rest of the UK. "While it may be that localised lockdowns will be needed to deal with individual flare-ups over the months ahead, they should be handled as such. "This should not be used as an issue to drive a wedge between Scotland and England." Asylum seekers in hotels are not spreading the virus - ministerHome Office minister Chris Philp said there has not been a single confirmed case of coronavirus in respect of asylum seekers staying in hotels. His comments come in the wake of a stabbing attack in Glasgow City Centre. Mr Philp said: "We are working at pace to increase the available accommodation so we can, as quickly as we can, move asylum seekers from hotels into more permanent accommodation, which I think we all agree is more suitable, and efforts are currently under way to do exactly that." He said that people were moved into hotels because "the serviced apartments were not appropriate and not safe" during the coronavirus pandemic, adding: "It was done for safety reasons and has been entirely borne out by the subsequent statistics." Mr Philp said that of the approximately 5,000 asylum seekers Glasgow accommodates "of those over-5,000 service users only two have tested positive for coronavirus. Both, I'm pleased to say, have fully recovered". He added: "And amongst those people accommodated in hotels, there has not been a single confirmed case of coronavirus." Government lines up another £50bn of borrowingThe Treasury is set to borrow another £50bn in August as it races ahead with a record debt spree to fight the coronavirus crisis and plug a collapse in tax revenues. It means borrowing will hit £275bn in the opening five months of the financial year - an unprecedented pace to match the extraordinary strains on the public finances as the country reels from the biggest challenge since the Second World War. The figures will spark concern that Britain will be paying for the crisis for years to come through higher taxes. Economists had expected the state-run Debt Management Office (DMO) to set out plans for September too, but it decided not to amid a rapidly changing situation with economists unable to predict the scale or speed of any recovery. Tim Wallace has more here. Police 'can't stop people' flocking to coast, PCC saysPolice "can't stop people coming to the coast", Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne has said. Mrs Bourne's comments came as she answered councillors' questions at a virtual meeting of the Sussex Police and Crime Panel, the BBC reports. Ms Bourne said: "We have got over 100 miles of coastline in Sussex and, with the best will in the world, police can't stop people coming to the coast. "All along the police response to this – as we have eased out of lockdown – was the Four E approach. It was to engage with the public, to explain to them why we are doing the social distancing and to encourage them to go home and only to use enforcement as a last measure, as you would expect." Local German lockdown extendedLocal authorities have extended a lockdown in and around the German city of Gütersloh following an outbreak at a nearby meat processing plant. North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Armin Laschet called the extra week of restrictions a "precautionary measure" as they carry out more tests. But Mr Laschet said that the lockdown in neighbouring Warendorf district would end at midnight. State officials had to bring back virus control measures last week after an outbreak linked to the Tönnies meat processing factory near Gütersloh infected thousands of people, and on Tuesday local lockdown rules came into force for roughly 600,000 people. Council to use £8m from reserves to help cover Covid-19 costsChichester District Council plans to use more than £8 million from its reserves to pay for the costs it has faced during the pandemic, the BBC reports. The council has lost around £1 million each month due to the loss of income from areas including car parking charges and an increase in costs, such as finding emergency housing for the city's homeless during lockdown. A report to a meeting of the corporate governance and audit committee, which is due to convene on Thursday, said the shortfall is expected to be £8 million by the end of the year. In his report, John Ward, director of corporate services, said that while the exact number cannot be predicted with "certainty", to do nothing to address it "will result in reserves being depleted, and still leaves the issue to be addressed once reserves have expired". As well as recommending that money be released from its £22.8 million of reserves, councillors have been asked to recommend that the minimum amount that can be held in its General Fund Reserve be lowered from £6.3 million to £4 million. Evidence does not support taking vitamin D for Covid-19, health officials sayThere is "no evidence" to support taking vitamin D supplements to prevent or treat Covid-19, health officials have said, in response to suggestions that it could reduce the risk of acute respiratory tract infections and Covid-19. Officials from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) examined five studies on the virus and vitamin D, and concluded that there is currently no evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of Covid-19. Paul Chrisp, director of the Centre for Guidelines at Nice, said: "While there are health benefits associated with vitamin D, our rapid evidence summary did not identify sufficient evidence to support the use of vitamin D supplements for the treatment or prevention of Covid-19. "We know that the research on this subject is ongoing, and Nice is continuing to monitor new published evidence." But the review stressed the importance of vitamin D for bone and muscle health, and updated guidance on the NHS website urged people to take vitamin D supplements as they spend an increasing amount of time indoors during lockdown. Funders give £600k to help Jersey during pandemicTwelve charitable funders have given £600,000 in emergency funds to help Jersey's community during the coronavirus crisis, the BBC reports. The Jersey Funders Group said its donation would be prioritising charities that worked on the front line by helping islanders with food or housing. It said it also has given funding to charities that had seen rise in demand during the pandemic, supporting people's mental health, giving debt advice or bereavement counselling. Higher proportion of Indian women than men die from coronavirus in break from global trendA higher percentage of women than men have died after being diagnosed with Covid-19 in South Asia, bucking the global trend, and raising fears over gendered restrictions to healthcare. Out of 35 countries that recorded deaths by sex, Global Health 50/50 researchers found that only in India and Pakistan did more women die than men. A further study by the Journal of Global Health Science based on fatalities until May 20 found that 3.3 per cent of coronavirus-positive Indian women have died, compared with 2.9 per cent of men. While data collection in India is limited, figures from April indicate over three-quarters of coronavirus patients were male. Joe Wallen and Ben Farmer have more here. Scotland's property market to 'reopen with a bang' todayScotland's property market is tipped to re-open "with a bang" today as house-hunters are finally allowed to view homes again following 99 days of lockdown. Estate agents predicted a record sales month in July, with more than 10,000 properties expected to change hands, as pent-up demand is released and suspended transactions completed. Bank of Scotland reported a 75 per cent jump in online mortgage applications in the last week alone and a 470 per cent surge in people seeking a lending appointment. From today, viewers are once more allowed to visit properties, although they will be expected to maintain socially distancing and some estate agents are expected to wear protective equipment. Simon Johnson has more here. Greece extends ban on direct flights from UKThe Greek Government is extending a ban on direct flights arriving from Britain, pushing it back to July 15. Direct flights from Sweden have also been banned until this date. There were high hopes that summer holidays to Greece would be given the green light this week, as the Government prepares to announce a list of "air bridge" countries in the coming days. The decision comes a day before the current ban was due to expire, and two days before the country's regional airports will open to to international flights on 1 July. Read more on our travel live blog here. UK deaths up by 25 and testing figures announcedThe Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said 43,575 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK as of 5pm on Sunday, up by 25 from 43,550 the day before. The Government figures do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which are thought to have passed 54,000. The DHSC also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Monday, 93,881 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 815 positive results. Overall, a total of 9,290,215 tests have been carried out and 311,965 cases have been confirmed positive. The figure for the number of people tested has been "temporarily paused to ensure consistent reporting" across all methods of testing. Coronavirus around the world, in pictures      Households hoard record £26bn in MayHouseholds are hoarding money in bank accounts at a record pace as they hold fire on a spending spree, even as the economy begins to reopen. Deposits held by households jumped by a record £25.6bn in May, adding to a large pile built up by consumers in the previous two months, Bank of England data revealed. Mortgage approvals hit record lows and consumers continued to cut their debts, paying off credit cards and overall lending for a third consecutive month. Tom Rees has more here. Downing Street plays down prospect of roadblocks for local lockdownsDowning Street played down the prospect of roadblocks being set up to seal off entire areas where there were localised outbreaks of Covid-19. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "The sorts of things we have talked about in the road map were, for example, closing down particular schools or particular groups of schools, potentially limiting admissions to health facilities or - if there were a particular business or premises linked to an outbreak - closing that down temporarily." Pressed on whether local lockdowns could mean people being stopped from entering or leaving areas affected by the virus, the spokesman said: "The priority... would be to close down premises linked to outbreaks and, where people are considered to be at risk because they have come into contact with others confirmed as having coronavirus, telling them they need to self-isolate for 14 days." No Cobra meetings of four nations 'for weeks'Nicola Sturgeon has said there has not been a meeting of the civil contingencies committee Cobra "for weeks" and cannot remember when the last one was held. "I think that's regrettable," the First Minister said. "I think we should have more opportunities to discuss things on a four nations basis." "There have been a couple of four nations discussions with the Prime Minister, there have been four nations discussions that Michael Gove has convened, I have taken part in a couple and Humza Yousaf took part in one this morning." However, Ms Sturgeon said it would benefit from having discussions "not just about decisions that have already been taken" but "genuine and substantive discussions before the decisions are taken". Nicola Sturgeon warns she will consider quarantine scheme for England visitors if cases surgeNicola Sturgeon has warned that she will consider introducing quarantine for English visitors to Scotland if the number of Covid-19 cases south of the border surges. The First Minister said she had no plans at present for restrictions on cross-border travel but is "not ruling anything out" to guard against higher infection rates in Scotland. Pledging to adopt a "hard-headed" approach to public health, she cited the examples of quarantine checks US and German states with low Covid-19 transmission have introduced for people from those with high rates. Speaking as Scotland recorded no Covid-19 deaths for the fourth day running, she said her strategy was to eliminate the virus, but she suspected Boris Johnson's may be to allow it to circulate at a higher level as long as the NHS is not overwhelmed. Ms Sturgeon challenged Mr Johnson to make a definitive statement that his coronavirus policy aim is the same as hers. Simon Johnson has more here. One additional death reported in Northern IrelandOne additional death involving Covid-19 has been reported in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said, bringing the total in the region to 551. The number of positive cases following testing by both local centres and the national programme rose by six in the last 24 hours to 5,757. Testing strategy problems 'could have cost lives', say expertsProblems with the national testing strategy for Covid-19 could have "cost lives", experts have suggested. Three national pathology leaders said they had concerns that the current testing approach was "neglecting critical aspects of a high quality end-to-end Pathology service". It comes as part of an investigation by The Independent into the UK Lighthouse Labs network, which was established as part of the Covid-19 battle to ramp up the number of tests for people across the UK. Penned by Dr Tom Lewis, Dr Marion Wood and Dr Martin Myers, the letter raises a series of concerns about the programme, including calling for swifter turnaround times on tests. They said central labs were often taking 72 hours from the time they received tests to determine a result - compared to as little as six hours in current NHS facilities. "This is too slow to run an effective track and trace operation, even if the positive cases could be accurately identified," they argued. Further 19 die in EnglandA further 19 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 28,672, NHS England said. Patients were aged between 60 and 96 years old. All had known underlying health conditions. The number of deaths by region are: two in the east of England, two in London, one in the Midlands, four in the North East and Yorkshire, three in the North West, five in the South East, and two in the South West. Tourists travelling to Greece required to fill out questionnaireTourists travelling to Greece will be required from Wednesday to complete an online questionnaire 48 hours in advance to determine whether they need to be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival. Over the weekend, the Greek Government ended random testing of travellers according to their country of origin, which had confused tourists. Under the new protocol, travellers are given scannable bar codes after they fill out a questionnaire with personal details such as their country of origin and the countries they have travelled through in the last fifteen days. The questionnaire is mandatory until 31 August. Read more: How Greece moved quickly and decisively to keep Covid-19 out Iran reports highest death toll since FebruaryIran reported today 162 more deaths from Covid-19, the highest single-day toll since the country's outbreak began in February. "This increase in numbers is in fact a reflection of our overall performance, both in terms of reopening and in compliance with health protocols," health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said at a news conference. The previous record daily toll of 158 deaths was reported by health authorities in early April. Official figures have shown an upward trajectory in new confirmed cases since early May, when Iran hit a near two-month low in daily recorded infections. Britain is reluctant to move in response to Government advice - apart from when it's sunnyBritain is proving reluctant to start moving, despite the Government's relaxation of a series of lockdown measures, according to data from the Oxford Covid-19 Impact Monitor. Although official announcements have been made to lift restrictions, data from the monitor shows that the country is still moving less than 50 per cent of the pre-lockdown distance. By Monday last week, UK average travelling had increased to around 45 per cent of pre-lockdown levels, according to the monitor. But last Thursday, the hottest day of the year so far, saw the highest levels of movement in all regions since the crisis began. The North East recorded movement of nearly 70 per cent pre-lockdown levels, and the South West recorded some 60 per cent pre-lockdown levels of movement. In Wales, however, movement was at 45 per cent of pre-lockdown levels, in Scotland it was 43 per cent and in London movement remained at some 36 per cent. Lockdown raves are putting a huge strain on police resourcesIllegal raves attended by thousands of "socially starved" young people are becoming impossible to police, former chief constables have warned, despite the Home Secretary demanding tougher action. Dozens of unlicensed music events have taken place in recent weeks breaching lockdown rules and causing a headache for local residents. But critics have accused the police of pursuing a "softly, softly" approach which does little to deter organisers or attendees. The scenes of violence have prompted Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, to demand tougher action from forces to clamp down on the gatherings. Martin Evans has more here. Restaurants to use Deliveroo takeaway app for table serviceDeliveroo has unveiled a "Table Service" tool that will allow diners to order and pay for food through its app while eating-in at select restaurants. The company said it hopes its the tool, which will be available on July 15 for the 35,000 restaurants on its app, will make it easier for restaurants to maintain social distancing guidelines. "This is an important safety feature to give consumers confidence they can return to restaurants safely, and for restaurant staff, who will be able to work while minimising in-person contact," Deliveroo said in a statement. While the company normally takes a cut of orders delivered by its bike couriers, table service orders will be offered free of commission, Deliveroo said. Matthew Field has more here. Two households in Wales to be allowed to form 'extended household'Two households in Wales will be allowed to pair up and form "one extended household" from Monday July 6, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said. He told the Welsh Government's daily press briefing: "This can allow families and close friends who have been separated by the coronavirus pandemic over the last few months to reconnect with one another and to enjoy one another's company again indoors. "Our aim has been to introduce this in a way which is as safe as possible, as fair as possible, and as simple as possible. "And we've now reached the stage where, provided the situation remains favourable this time next week, we will be able to lift the stay local requirement, and at the same time we'll be able to make changes to the rules to allow people from two separate households to form one exclusive extended household." Today's top stories so farGood afternoon. If you're just joining us, here's some of the key developments from across the world so far today:
Leicester isn't different to other parks of UK, says mayorAddressing whether or not he was concerned about the number of Covid-19 cases in Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby, the city's mayor said: "Obviously I'm concerned about the spread of the virus anywhere but there's nothing in these figures which suggests that there is something happening in Leicester that is in any way different from what is happening elsewhere in the UK. "Indeed, what we do have in the way of figures - obviously, sadly death figures, but also the hospital admissions figures - suggests that the spread of the virus in Leicester is diminishing in exactly the same way and exactly the same proportions that it is diminishing elsewhere. "Certainly, there are some parts of Leicester that are getting higher rates of positive results than others - but that's because there are some parts that are having more tests than others. "One thing that is acknowledged in this document is they've been doing more testing and they've been getting more positive results as a result of that - and that's hardly a surprise." Scottish Government calls for £80bn UK stimulus packageAn £80 billion UK-wide stimulus package should be put in place to boost the coronavirus-hit economy and cut inequalities, the Scottish Government has said. A new report calls for the UK Government to use the money - equivalent to 4 per cent of GDP - to finance a range of actions, including cutting VAT to 15 per cent for six months once lockdown ends, with a reduction to 5 per cent for the hospitality sector. Further recommendations in the Scottish Government report include cutting employers' National Insurance contributions by 2p to reduce the cost of hiring staff. It repeats calls for a furlough scheme extension, or some other form of wage subsidy, for the hardest-hit sectors, indicating that while the unemployment rate could still reach 10 per cent in Scotland in 2020, it could have peaked at 14 per cent without the furlough scheme. The Covid-19: UK Fiscal Path - A New Approach report also recommends introducing a jobs guarantee scheme for young people and creating a national debt plan to help businesses and households recover. Among the help for households is a call to provide a one-off cash grant to low and middle income households to stimulate consumption, giving the example of Germany's 300 euro (£274) per child. Drugs derived from Sars antibodies among potential coronavirus treatmentsA drug derived from the antibodies of patients who recovered from the Sars coronavirus is one of a new type of treatment that is being developed to treat people with Covid-19. The therapies – called monoclonal antibodies – are the first treatments to be specifically designed for the coronavirus and can be given to patients at an early stage of the disease. Two US pharma firms, Eli Lilly and Regeneron, both launched the first safety studies of monoclonal antibodies therapies in humans earlier this month. Eli Lilly is expected to get the first results by the end of this month and, if successful, the company will launch trials to test their efficacy with results known as soon as autumn. Anne Gulland has more here. No Covid-19 deaths in Scotland for fourth day runningThere have been no deaths registered of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Scotland for a fourth consecutive day, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. Speaking at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing, she said the latest figures showed no new deaths within the previous 24 hours. The total number of people who have died under the measurement remains at 2,482. Ms Sturgeon said five more people tested positive for the virus since Sunday, taking the total to 18,241. She said that the total demonstrates "how much progress" has been made and the challenge now is to continue it, while reopening the economy and seeing more of family and friends. California orders some bars to close as US posts record number of coronavirus casesCalifornia has ordered some bars to close as that state and a dozen others face the worst surge in Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. Governor Gavin Newsom's order for bars to close in seven counties, including Los Angeles, is the first major rollback of efforts to reopen the economy in the most populous US state. On Friday, Texas and Florida ordered all bars to close. The surge in Covid-19 cases has been most pronounced in several Southern and Western states that did not follow health officials' recommendations to wait for a steady decline in cases before reopening their economies. For a third consecutive day on Saturday, the number of confirmed US cases leapt by more than 40,000, one of the largest surges in the world. Even in states where cases have been declining for weeks, bars have been a source of outbreaks. One bar in East Lansing, Michigan, has been linked to more than 85 cases, according to local health officials who say that number is likely to rise. The 36 cities and counties where Covid-19 cases are rising - risking more local lockdownsWith a surge in new cases, Leicester looks set to be the first city where a local lockdown could be imposed - but it is by no means an isolated case. Some areas, such as Doncaster, have seen a larger week-on week increase in new cases, and many of the areas seeing new upticks in Covid-19 are those in urban, densely populated areas. The Government has consistently said it will consider regional and local lockdowns if necessary, and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has deployed four mobile testing sites to Leicester and made thousands of home testing kits available. Read here to find out where Covid-19 cases are on the rise. Chinese military approves vaccine for use within ranksChina's military has approved a Covid-19 vaccine for use within its ranks that has been developed by its research unit and a biotech firm, AFP reports. More than half of 17 candidate vaccines identified by the World Health Organization that are in clinical evaluation involve Chinese companies or institutes. Hong Kong-listed CanSino Biologics said in a filing to the stock exchange that data from clinical trials showed the Chinese military vaccine had a "good safety profile", and potential to prevent disease caused by the virus. CanSino said China's Central Military Commission approved the use of the vaccine on June 25 for one year. Its use cannot be expanded without further approvals, the listing said. It was not clear how widely it would be used within China's military forces, and the ministry of defence did not reply to an AFP request for further information. CanSino added that it cannot guarantee the vaccine - which had its phase one and two clinical trials done in China - will ultimately be commercialised. Chinese and Russian news takes hold in WestCoronavirus misinformation spread by Russian and Chinese journalists is finding a bigger audience on social media in France and Germany than content from the European nations' own premier news outlets, AFP reports. Whether it is distorted coverage or outright conspiracy theories, articles written in French and German by foreign state media are resonating widely on Facebook and Twitter, often with their origins unclear, the Oxford Internet Institute said in a report published today. The institute, which is part of Oxford University, looked at content generated by leading media outlets from Russia and China, as well as from Iran and Turkey - all of which are state-controlled or closely aligned to regimes in power. In their French, German and Spanish output, state media groups have "politicised the coronavirus by criticising Western democracies, praising their home countries, and promoting conspiracy theories about the origins of the virus", the institute said. "A majority of the content in these outlets is factually based. But what they have, especially if you look at the Russian outlets, is an agenda to discredit democratic countries," Oxford researcher Jonathan Bright told AFP. Coronavirus around the world, in pictures    Czech Republic to open borders to BritonsThe Czech Health Minister has said today that his country would open borders for travellers from Britain and Poland from this week, despite a recent spike in Covid-19 cases at home. "Poland's Silesia region has moved up to the green zone so travellers won't need negative tests or to undergo quarantine," Adam Vojtech told reporters. "The same goes for Great Britain." Czech authorities expect to further ease the measures they adopted in March to combat the virus outbreak, though they will leave them in place in certain problem spots. From July 1, Czechs will no longer have to wear face masks except in hospitals, retirement homes, the Prague underground and two northeastern districts where the virus is spreading among miners and their relatives. People in Prague will also have to wear face masks at indoor events with more than 100 people. The country registered 305 new cases on Sunday, the fastest daily increase since April 3. More than 11,600 Czechs have so far tested positive for the virus and 348 have died. Between mid-April and mid-June, daily increases never exceeded 100 cases. New ventilator could help save lives if virus cases spike, scientists sayResearchers at the University of Glasgow have developed a low-cost ventilator requiring minimal training which they believe could help save lives if there is a second wave of Covid-19. They said manufacturing of the low-cost device, called GlasVent, could easily be scaled up and it could be used in care settings and the developing world. The primary component is a bag valve mask - a handheld, balloon-like device which is already commonly used in emergency medical situations. Medics squeeze the device by hand to pass air through a tube, which helps to inflate patients' lungs and keep oxygen circulating. The team has developed a way to automate the squeezing of the bag, allowing medics to concentrate on other aspects of care and standardising delivery of oxygen into patients' lungs. The device uses a microcontroller to control pressure and oxygen flow, along with a 3D-printed slide crank. In the event of a power outage, the crank's simple design allows medics to operate it by hand, helping to keep the patient alive. Professor Ravinder Dahiya and a team of engineers from his Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies group have developed three variants of the device, ranging from a fully-manual option costing £35, to a battery-powered version with a parts cost of £135. Europeans' trust in US as world leader collapses during pandemicThe Covid-19 crisis has caused a dramatic deterioration in the European public perception of the United States, new polling from Datapraxis and YouGov has revealed. More than 60 per cent of respondents in Germany, France, Spain, Denmark and Portugal said they had lost trust in the US as a global leader. In almost every country surveyed, a majority of people said their perception of the US had deteriorated since the outbreak. Negative attitudes of the US were most prevalent in Denmark (71 per cent) Portugal (70 per cent), France (68 per cent), Germany (65 per cent) and Spain (64 per cent). In France and Germany, 46 and 42 per cent respectively said their view of the US had worsened "a lot" during the pandemic. The report states: "Europeans' trust in the US is gone. Many have been appalled by the [US's] chaotic response to Covid-19; the lack of solidarity it showed with Europeans in the March 12 closure of its border to members of the Schengen area; and its lack of leadership in tackling the coronavirus crisis at the global level – or even engagement with the issue (beyond a war of words with the World Health Organization)." The news comes as the US continues to see a surge in Covid-19 cases, with states including Florida and Texas pausing their reopenings in hopes to control the outbreak. Consumer credit borrowing shrinks to weakest annual rate in 26 yearsHouseholds' consumer credit borrowing shrunk by 3 per cent annually in May, marking the weakest growth since records started in 1994, according to Bank of England figures. The 3 per cent contraction, which includes borrowing using credit cards, personal loans and overdrafts, follows a 0.4 per cent 12-month fall in April. Within May's figure, the annual growth rate of credit card lending was negative for the third month running, falling to minus 10.7 per cent, compared with 3.5 per cent as recently as February. Growth in other types of borrowing remained positive, at 0.7 per cent. The Bank's Money and Credit report said Covid-19 continued to weigh on spending in May as households repaid more in loans from banks overall than they took out. The number of mortgages approved to home buyers in May also fell to the lowest number since the Bank started tracking the mortgage approval figures in this way, at 9,273. Brit Awards pushed back due to pandemicThe Brit Awards 2021 have been pushed back by three months and will now take place on May 11 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers have said. The annual ceremony, which is expected to mark its 41st year, usually takes place in February and has been held at London's O2 Arena since 2011. Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the Brit Awards and industry body BPI, said: "We want to make sure that The Brits delivers the outstanding production levels, superstar performances and live excitement that make it the biggest night in music. "We believe that the best way to achieve this in 2021 is to move the show back a few months to May and we are already at work planning a spectacular event that will remind us how important music has been in getting us all through these difficult times." The eligibility period for the awards will also be altered. Boris Johnson: Government is 'concerned' about LeicesterThe Prime Minister has said that the Government is "concerned about Leicester", where there has been a surge in Covid-19 cases. On a visit to a construction site in West London, Boris Johnson said: "We are concerned about Leicester, we are concerned about any local outbreak. "I want to stress to people that we are not out of the woods yet. We are making these cautious, calibrated steps, we are opening as much of hospitality as we can on July 4, opening as much of the economy as we can - some things, alas, still remain closed until they can become Covid-secure. "But to make all that possible we have to remain vigilant." He said the local "whack-a-mole" strategy had worked in Weston-super-Mare and where there had been outbreaks around GP surgeries in London, and added that that same approach will be used in Leicester. Spain launches contact tracing app on small islandTomorrow will see the formal launch of a trial of a Covid-19 tracing app on the island of La Gomera in the Canaries, population 22,000, reports James Badcock. There are no actual cases of Covid-19 on the island, and 300 fictitious ones will be introduced to the system that people download from Google/Apple stores and activate with bluetooth. Face masks to become compulsory on Northern Ireland's public transportA proposal to make face coverings mandatory on public transport in Northern Ireland is expected to be signed off later today by Stormont ministers, the BBC reports. Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon had initially suggested the move take effect from Friday, 3 July, but the measure comes into force in the Republic of Ireland today and has been in place in England and Scotland for weeks. It is understood the executive could now change its proposed date, and this would ensure the same rules are in place for cross-border train and bus travel. A number of changes to Northern Ireland's lockdown are also taking effect from today, including a reduction of the two-metre distancing rule to one (with conditions), places of worship can reopen on a wider basis for indoor services, elite athletes can train indoors and contact sport training can resume, and childminders can care for the children of four families at one time. Russia reports 6,719 new casesRussia has reported 6,719 new cases of Covid-19 today, the lowest one-day reported increase since 29 April, pushing its nationwide tally to 641,156. The national coronavirus taskforce said 93 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 9,166. Read more: Trauma for bereaved families of Russia's hidden Covid dead Deaths in Africa near 10,000There have now been over 380,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Africa and almost 10,000 deaths, with a number of African countries imposing a range of prevention and containment measures against the spread of the virus. According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University and the Africa Center for Disease Control, there have been 382,190 confirmed cases, 182,553 recoveries and 9,664 deaths. In other news, schools in Tanzania will reopen today after three months of closure due to the pandemic, according to local media quoting the country's president John Magufuli . This makes Tanzania the first country in East Africa to reopen schools, according to The Citizen local website. Thailand to ease nightlife lockdownThailand's nightlife will restart with some restrictions from this week, it was announced today, as it also prepares to welcome business travellers and medical tourists after a ban on foreign entry. While Thailand has recorded just 3,169 cases and 58 deaths from Covid-19 so far, the country's tourism-reliant economy has been hit hard by border closures. From July 1, bars, clubs and karaoke lounges can reopen, though they must adhere to a midnight closing time and have social distancing measures, said Taweesin Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand will also relax entry restrictions on foreigners with work permits or with Thai spouses and families, and people who wish to enter the country for medical services. Business travellers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China and Hong Kong will also be allowed in, provided they pay for quarantine in hotels. Tourists will still be barred, although authorities floated the idea of "travel bubbles" earlier this month. Czech Republic reports highest case rise since April 3The Czech Republic reported 305 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the highest daily tally since April 3, which the Government said was mainly the result of an outbreak in an eastern mining area rather than a nationwide second wave of infection, reports Reuters. The new cases, the fourth highest daily total on record, result mostly from the blanket testing of employees of coal mines operated by state-owned group OKD, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said. Vojtech said he hoped the numbers would come down in coming days once the mine employees are tested. "We are convinced that the situation, while the numbers are quite high, is largely under control," Vojtech told a news conference. "We are not seeing that the situation has an impact on the number of hospitalisations." Ireland reopens from todayIrish pubs are to unlock their doors and begin pouring pints once more from today, ending a 15-week dry spell forced by the nation's lockdown. Pubs serving food as well as restaurants and hotels are permitted to open as the republic enters the penultimate stage of its plan to lift stay-at-home restrictions. However, social distancing measures will remain in place, meaning that drinkers in pubs will have to stay seated, with a maximum stay of 105 minutes. All domestic travel restrictions were also lifted, as churches, hairdressers, cinemas and museums opened and mass gatherings of 50 indoors or 200 outdoors were permitted. Pub industry organisations estimate some 2,000 of their members will open on Monday, while the rest await the final stage of the nation's scheme to reopen on July 20. Ireland has seen 1,735 deaths in the Covid-19 outbreak, according to health department figures on Sunday. Pictures from the pubs to follow... Non-essential shops reopen in ScotlandNon-essential shops have been allowed to reopen in Scotland from today, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged shoppers to maintain social distancing, follow hygiene advice and wear face coverings.   US Health Secretary: 'Window is closing' to stop virusThe US Health Secretary Alex Azar has warned that "the window is closing" on the country's chance to take action to effectively curb Covid-19, as the number of confirmed cases in the states surpassed 2.5 million. Mr Azar pointed to a recent surge in infections, particularly in the south, and said people have "to act responsibly" by social distancing and wearing face masks especially "in these hot zones". For a third consecutive day on Saturday, the number of confirmed US cases rose by more than 40,000. In Arizona, cases have risen by 267 per cent so far in June and jumped by a record 3,857 cases on Sunday, the eighth record-breaking increase this month. According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, US deaths from Covid-19 have passed 125,000 - far more than any other country in the world. Texas and Florida are among the states that have reversed course on parts of their reopening plans last week in response to the ongoing increase in cases. Parents could be fined if they don't send children to school from SeptemberThe Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said that parents could be fined if they do not send their children back to school after their scheduled restart in England in September. He told LBC: "It is going to be compulsory for children to return back to school unless there's a very good reason, or a local spike where there have had to be local lockdowns. "We do have to get back into compulsory education as part of that, obviously fines sit alongside that. "Unless there is a good reason for the absence then we will be looking at the fact that we would be imposing fines on families if they are not sending their children back." Over one million Covid-19 cases in WHO's Eastern Mediterranean regionThere has been more than one million cases of Covid-19 in the 22 countries of the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean region, the WHO confirmed on Sunday. As of 11:00 on Sunday, 1,025,478 cases and 23,461 deaths have been recorded from the region, which spans from Morocco to Pakistan. While cases in Europe have been largely declining, several countries in the region have been seeing increases in the number of cases and deaths. Countries recently reporting increases in cases include Iran, Iraq, Libya, Morocco, occupied Palestinian territory and Oman. The WHO said it is especially concerned about the spread of the virus in war-torn countries such as Syria, Yemen and Libya due to poor infrastructure and fragile health systems vastly weakened by conflict. In all countries, it said, there is still a clear need for expansion of testing and more accurate reporting of cases and deaths to inform targeted responses. Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, the WHO's regional director for the region, said: "This is a very concerning milestone. As shops, restaurants, mosques, businesses, airports and other public places begin to open up, we need to be more vigilant and cautious than ever before. One million people have been infected, tens of thousands have died, and many more are still at risk in our region. "We cannot relax our efforts. In fact, many countries lifting restrictions are seeing marked increases in cases, which signifies the need to accelerate public health response measures. Communities must remain vigilant and play a key role in keeping themselves and their countries safe." Starmer: Government must deliver a July Budget as 'duty' to those who have lost jobsSpeaking on Sky News, the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said that the Government urgently needs to introduce a July budget as part of its "duty" to the people who have lost their jobs amid the pandemic. He said: "I am concerned that there should be a July budget because we're living through a health crisis, we've got an economic crisis coming right up alongside it, and we're likely to see unemployment the like of which we've haven't seen for a generation. "And I think the Government should be putting forward a budget in July setting out precisely how it's going to ensure that as many jobs are preserved as possible." The Labour leader added: "Any budget in July has to focus on jobs, jobs, jobs. If we go to two or three million people unemployed, that's going to be so damaging for so many families and for our economy." Sir Keir said he would bring infrastructure projects forward in the budget, extend the furlough scheme to save jobs in the most hard-hit industries like the hospitality sector, and create a "future jobs fund" to help those made unemployed get back into the workforce "as quickly as possible". Starmer: Johnson should have 'led from the front' on reopening schoolsLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said that the Prime Minister should have "led from the front" on reopening schools, rather than resting the responsibility on civil service leaders. Sir Keir was asked about this issue on Sky, following the news on Sunday that Sir Mark Sedwill will be stepping down from his dual role as Cabinet Secretary and national security adviser. Speaking today, Sir Keir said: "Responsibility isn't with the civil service, responsibility is with the Prime Minister to get our schools open. "He should have set up a task force, he should have led from the front. Get the relevant players around the table - the trade unions and local authorities, the Government department - and have a clear plan in place. "What we cannot have in a crisis like this is a Prime Minister who shifts responsibility from himself to somebody else. If you're Prime Minister, you're responsible - take responsibility." Read more: When will schools fully reopen, and should I send my child back to school? Back to school plans to be unveiled this weekEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said the Government was still consulting on how to get children back to school, but said the plans would be unveiled this week. Asked if there will be a detailed plan this week, Mr Williamson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There will." Asked if all social distancing requirements could be removed to allow a total return, he said: "We're going to take the opportunity to spell out exactly as to how we will see a full return for all children back into school before the end of this week. "As I'm sure you'll understand and appreciate at the moment, we're consulting and talking with different people, whether it's headteachers, whether it's unions, whether it's representative bodies." Government have 'whack-a-mole strategy' for local lockdownsPrime Minister Boris Johnson said he worries about coronavirus deaths and infection rates every day. But he told Times Radio that it was crucial to be ready to crack down on local flare-ups using a "whack-a-mole" strategy. When asked if he was still worried that total deaths and the infection rate remained too high, he added: "Every day I worry. "Local hospital admissions are coming down, so are the death numbers. "They are much, much lower than they were a few weeks ago and that is encouraging. "But the crucial thing is to make sure we are ready to crack down on local flare-ups. "We have a whack-a-mole strategy." 'This is the moment for a Rooseveltian approach to the UK economy'Prime Minister Boris Johnson said an economic effort like the one enacted by former president Franklin D Roosevelt in his new deal out of the US's great depression was needed for the coronavirus crisis. He told Times Radio: "This is the time to invest in infrastructure, this is the time to make those long-term decisions for the good of the country. "You have to be careful and the Chancellor will be setting out our plans in the spending review in the autumn. "But in the end what you can't do at this moment is go back to what people called austerity, it wasn't actually austerity but people called it austerity, and I think that would be a mistake. "I think this is the moment for a Rooseveltian approach to the UK." Johnson: 'I'm not going to dispute that things went wrong'The Prime Minister conceded: "I'm not going to dispute that things went wrong." While he did not mention specifically what had gone wrong, it was put to him that PPE, care homes and testing was among those things to have gone badly for the Government. Boris Johnson said: "This has been a disaster, let's not mince our words, this has been an absolute nightmare for the country," he said. "The country has gone through a profound shock. But in those moments you have the opportunity to change and to do things better. "We really want to build back better, to do things differently, to invest in infrastructure, transport, broadband - you name it." 'We can't step back' from supporting the economyPrime Minister Boris Johnson said "we can't just now step back" from supporting the economy. He told Times Radio: "The Government will remain very very much engaged with people, with businesses helping everybody to get through this. "We had to put our arms around the UK economy, we had to do the coronavirus job retention scheme, the furlough scheme, all sorts of amazing loans, bounce-back loans and so on, to help businesses, we can't just now step back. "So what we're going to be doing in the next few months is really doubling down on our initial agenda which was all about investment, if you remember, in infrastructure, in education, in technology, to bring the country together." PM: 'ICU changed me - I lost some weight'Asked if being treated at St Thomas' Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) for coronavirus had changed him, physically or mentally, the Prime Minister said: "I did change. "I did lose some weight, that's perfectly true. "As you do when you spend time in the ICU." He conceded that he had previously took a libertarian approach to obesity, "but not now", insisting the nation would be better equipped to deal with future viruses if the UK collectively lost weight. Comparing Britain to the rest of Europe, he said: "We are significantly fatter." 'Bumpy times ahead' for UK economy, Prime Minister concedesPrime Minister Boris Johnson said there will be "some bumpy times" but the UK will get through the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic "very, very well indeed". He told Times Radio: "I certainly think people can feel instinctively that it's going to be tough to come through this. "We've seen a big fall in our GDP and everybody understands as we come out of it there are going to be some bumpy times but the UK is an amazingly dynamic, resilient economy and we're going to come through it very, very well indeed." Matt of the dayAfter a week of chaos on Britain's beaches, here is Matt's take.  You can see all of Matt's cartoons here. 'Total lack of planning' on reopening schools, Starmer saysLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said there was a "total lack of planning" from the Government on the reopening of schools. He said a task force should have been put together "two or three months ago" and a plan formed to utilise free public spaces such as libraries and community centres that remained shut during the pandemic. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, he said: "There was a total lack of planning by the Government. "From the day the schools were shut, it was obvious that work needed to start get them back open again." Leicester public health director criticises lack of informationLeicester public health director Ivan Browne was critical about the level of information given to the city to tackle the outbreak. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Interestingly it's very much around the younger working-age population and predominately towards the east part of our city. "I don't think at the moment we're seeing a single cause or a single smoking gun on this so we need really try to dig down and find out what is going on and it's likely to be a combination of factors. "Information has been challenging all the way through this. "It has definitely been challenging and I think as director of public health we have really been pushing for some time to ask for as complete a data set as possible because that's how we can really effectively start to challenge these things on the ground." Jurgen Klopp urges Liverpool fans to celebrate in 'safe way'Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged fans of the club to celebrate "in a safe way" after thousands gathered on the city's waterfront on Friday night in a blatant disregard for social distancing measures. In an open letter to the Liverpool Echo newspaper, Klopp wrote: "What I did not love - and I have to say this - was the scenes that took place at the Pier Head on Friday. I am a human being and your passion is also my passion but right now the most important thing is that we do not have these kind of public gatherings. "We owe it to the most vulnerable in our community, to the health workers who have given so much and whom we have applauded and to the police and local authorities who help us as a club not to do this. Please celebrate but celebrate in a safe way and in private settings, whereby we do not risk spreading this awful disease further in our community." He continued: "We have all done so much to fight Covid-19 and this effort cannot go to waste. We owe it to ourselves and each other to do what is right and at this moment that means being together and being there for one another by being apart." Leicester local lockdown necessary, says city's MPThe Labour MP for Leicester East, Claudia Webbe, has said she believes a local lockdown is necessary for her constituency where 866 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the past two weeks, because of "significant levels of African and Asian minority ethnic communities" and "significant levels of poverty". Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she said: "There are significant worries and significant problems in terms of inequalities and high levels of poverty that I'm concerned about. "That is the context in which this Covid-19 is operating in. So I'm very concerned, and I really do believe that where the data allows we need to ensure that we engage in processes to protect lives, and I think we need to go into therefore more localised lockdown to protect lives and ensure that we can address this virus. "The Government hasn't reassured us. Thus far, the messages and the communication from the Government have been unclear, and it has been difficult, and I really don't understand what communities are meant to follow." Stinging criticism of Government's Leicester lockdown planDelivering a series of criticisms of the Government information he has received, the Labour mayor Sir Peter Soulsby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Frankly it's been intensely frustrating. "It was only last Thursday that we finally got some of the data we need but we're still not getting all of it and it was only at 1.04am that the recommendations for Leicester arrived in my inbox. "What they're suggesting is not a return to lockdown, it seems that what they're suggesting is that we continue the present level of restriction for a further two weeks beyond July 4. "I've looked at this report and frankly it's obviously been cobbled together very hastily. It's superficial and its description of Leicester is inaccurate and certainly it does not provide us with the information we need if we are to remain restricted for two weeks longer than the rest of the country." Australia considers re-imposing restrictions after biggest rise in monthsAustralia's second most populous state said on Monday it is considering reimposing social distancing restrictions after the country reported its biggest one-day rise in new coronavirus infections in more than two months. Propelled by Victoria state reporting 75 cases, Australia recorded 85 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours, its biggest daily outbreak since April 11. Australia has fared better than many countries in the coronavirus pandemic, with around 7,800 cases and 104 deaths, but the recent surge has stoked fears of a second wave after several weeks of fewer than 20 new cases a day. The resurgence in Australia comes as total infections hit 10 million cases worldwide and the global death toll from the virus tops half a million people. As new coronavirus cases have mounted, Victoria has embarked on a massive testing regime and the state's chief health officer said the state may need to re-introduce social distancing restrictions. "Changing the law is something we have to consider because we have to do whatever is required to turn this around," Brett Sutton told reporters in Melbourne, referring to questions about enforcing localised lockdowns. Victorian state officials last week deployed ambulances and mobile test centres in a bid to test most residents in 10 hotspot suburbs. Church bells to ring out again after three months of silenceChurch bells will sound once more after the Church of England ruled that socially distanced ringing will be allowed under new guidelines, reports Gabriella Swerling. After places of worship were closed for public services under the coronavirus lockdown, the country's 5,000 churches and chapels with working bells remained silent. While social distancing measures mean a full peal is unlikely, officials ruled that it was finally time for them to ring again after three months. Church authorities had imposed a complete silence rule because ringers have to stand close together. According to the Central Council of Bell Ringers (CCBR), ringing will be included in the resumption of church services to remind people which day is Sunday. Read the full story here. Visitors use Balmoral estate as an outdoor toiletRangers at the Balmoral Estate have found discarded waste and wipes near trails as people have used the grounds as a wild toilet. Staff at the 50,000 acre site, which houses Balmoral Castle and is the Scottish home of the Royal Family, posted pictures of fouling over the weekend next to paths on the Aberdeenshire estate. Public toilets at the site have been closed, and rangers tweeted: "Disappointed to see so many wipes discarded on the Estate today. Next to paths and monuments. Please remember there are no public toilets open for miles around at the moment." The estate said the toilets near Loch Muick, managed by Aberdeenshire Council, have been closed but that people had been "breaking into them". Reopened stores boost UK's stretched charity sectorBargain hunters have returned to Britain's beloved charity shops since they began reopening following lockdown but busy tills alone will struggle to repair the damage done by the coronavirus pandemic. The country's charitable sector, worth billions of pounds, has seen its revenues collapse in the roughly three months since the virus prompted the unprecedented restrictions. Popular stores selling various second-hand items from clothes to crockery were allowed to restart operating earlier this month alongside other so-called non-essential retailers. But shops must follow various government guidelines, including ensuring customers stay at least one metre apart. Read more: Charity shops will be a treasure trove of 'gems' when they reopen South African golfer fourth to test positive since tour resumedSouth African golfer Dylan Frittelli will miss this week's Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club after testing positive for Covid-19, the PGA Tour said. Frittelli, who missed the cut at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, is the fourth golfer to test positive since the elite US Tour resumed on June 11.
 Cases in South Korea continue to climbSouth Korea has reported 42 new infections as cases steadily climb in the greater capital area, forcing authorities to consider stronger social restrictions. The figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday brought the national caseload to 12,757, including 282 deaths. Twenty-four of the new cases were reported from capital Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, which have been at the center of a virus resurgence since late May. At least 12 of the new cases were linked to international arrivals. Australian state considers reinstating restrictions after surge in casesAustralia's second most populous state said on Monday it is considering reimposing social distancing restrictions after the country reported its biggest one-day rise in infections in more than two months. While many states and territories have yet to report their latest numbers, Victoria said it has detected 75 cases in the past 24 hours - enough to make it Australia's biggest daily outbreak since April 11. The growing figures have stoked fears of a second wave in Australia after several weeks of fewer than 20 new cases a day. As cases have mounted, Victoria has embarked on a massive testing regime and the state's chief health officer said the state is considering reimposing social distancing restrictions. Brazilian football teams protest return to pitchBrazilian clubs Botafogo and Fluminense protested on Sunday against the resumption of professional football in Rio de Janeiro in mid-coronavirus pandemic, as they returned to the pitch after losing a fight against the decision.
The team, which lost 3-0 to Volta Redonda, wore jerseys stamped with the words "Thank you health-care professionals". News in brief from around the world
 LGBT Pride parade goes ahead in TaipeiThe Taiwanese capital held its annual LGBT Pride parade on Sunday, making it one of the few places in the world to proceed with such an event in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The parade in Taipei has drawn tens of thousands of people in the past, but participant numbers on Sunday were reduced by both virus concerns and heavy rain. Taiwan's Central News Agency said that over 1,000 attended. Those who did take part said it was a testament both to Taiwan's ability to contain the pandemic and its commitment to rights for people of all sexual orientations. Taiwan is the only place in Asia where same-sex marriage is legal, and its liberal political system has long promoted human rights, free speech and freedom of assembly.  Portugal fights back against UK quarantine threatBritain is embroiled in a diplomatic row with Portugal over quarantine, as its home affairs minister denied it is high risk, and claimed the UK was in a worst position in its response to Covid-19.
 Global death tally surpasses half a millionMore than half a million people have been killed by coronavirus, nearly two thirds of them in the United States and Europe, according to an John Hopkins University tally on Sunday. The official death toll for the disease now stands at 500,306 deaths from 10,070,339 cases recorded worldwide. The United States has suffered the highest death toll (125,763), followed by Brazil (57,070) and the United Kingdom (43,634). The tallies probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections. Many countries are testing only the most serious cases.  |
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