President Trump adopted a more defiant tone toward the pandemic Monday, touting his administration’s progress in controlling the “China Virus” and accusing Democrats of pushing to keep schools closed in the fall.
“Why does the Lamestream Fake News Media REFUSE to say that China Virus deaths are down 39%, and that we now have the lowest Fatality (Mortality) Rate in the World,” Trump tweeted. “They just can’t stand that we are doing so well for our Country!”
Why does the Lamestream Fake News Media REFUSE to say that China Virus deaths are down 39%, and that we now have the lowest Fatality (Mortality) Rate in the World. They just can’t stand that we are doing so well for our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany made the same claim that the United States has the lowest COVID-19 mortality rate during a White House press briefing.
Contrary to Trump’s statement, the U.S. is among the top countries in the world in terms of deaths per case and per 100,000 residents, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Within 10 minutes, Trump tweeted again, saying, “Corrupt Joe Biden and the Democrats don’t want to open schools in the Fall for political reasons, not for health reasons! They think it will help them in November. Wrong, the people get it!”
He added, “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!”
School districts across the U.S. are working to implement social distancing measures in schools so that kids can return in the fall. Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest educators’ union, has argued that the Trump administration does not have a plan in place to ensure student safety come fall. She responded to Trump’s tweet calling for schools to reopen, saying, “You forgot to add the word ‘SAFELY.’”
States and individual school districts are still grappling with how to reopen safely in the fall, if they reopen at all. Virginia schools and schools in Los Angeles County, California, for instance, will reopen in the fall with students on rotating schedules. Some students would be at home learning virtually and others physically attending school on any given day, to limit the number of students in school buildings at a time.
The Florida Department of Education announced Monday that all schools must reopen on schedule in August. Meanwhile, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said a decision on whether to open schools in the fall has not been made. The state government is still encouraging the more than 700 school districts to come up with plans to reopen safely, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has said city schools will reopen, even without the necessary final approval from Cuomo’s office.
As of Monday, over 2.9 million coronavirus infections have been confirmed in the U.S., and over 130,200 people have died.
Cuomo announced Monday that the state fair has been canceled as fears of renewed coronavirus outbreaks outweigh the economic benefits for the upstate region. The New York state fair is the latest in a series of fair cancellations, especially across the Midwest, as city and state governments fear that mass gatherings will fuel the transmission of the coronavirus, even in outdoor settings.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reasserted Monday that he will not take steps to roll back statewide reopening measures as coronavirus cases surge.
“We have to have society function,” DeSantis said in a Monday press briefing at The Villages retirement community. “You can have society function in a way that keeps people safe.”
As of Monday, the state has confirmed more than 206,000 cases. More than 21,000 new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Florida over the Independence Day weekend alone. Hours before DeSantis’s Monday press briefing alongside University of Florida Health doctors, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordered all Miami restaurants to close for in-person dining. Gimenez also ordered all ballrooms, banquet facilities, party venues, gyms and fitness centers, and short-term rentals to close.
The World Series champion Washington Nationals shut down spring training Monday after just three days, due to a delay in receiving coronavirus test results from Major League Baseball’s lab, according to General Manager Mike Rizzo. The Houston Astros also canceled workouts Monday due to a lag in test results, Bloomberg reported. More and more teams and individual players have said they’re worried about resuming play during a pandemic that has worsened across Sun Belt states in recent weeks.
Two Nationals players, Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross, have already decided that they will skip the 2020 season. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price will also skip the season. Los Angeles Angels player Mike Trout said last week that he also worries about playing this season as his wife is pregnant.
Texas hospitalized more than 8,000 COVID-19 patients on Sunday, based on data from the COVID Tracking Project. That is a record for the Lone Star State. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 grew by at least 5% in 23 states based on a seven-day average through Sunday. Among those states are Arizona, California, Georgia, and Nevada.
Israel will reimpose lockdown measures in response to growing cases of the coronavirus. Restaurants will be limited to seating 30 customers outside and 20 inside, and organized sporting events can be held but must do so without fans. Synagogues are restricted to no more than 19 congregants. Bars, clubs, event halls, gyms, and public pools will be closed. Israel lifted its initial lockdown measures in early May.
Two prominent Congressional Democrats blasted Trump as “anti-science” Monday. “Your continued anti-science rhetoric has cost lives and continues to put the health and wellbeing of every person in this country at risk,” Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. and Sen. Patty Murray wrote in a letter to Trump. Pallone is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Murray is the ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Pallone and Murray accused the president of limiting the ability of public health officials to share information about the pandemic, promoting unproven treatments, and politicizing the use of masks.
Harvard University will only allow 40% of undergraduates on campus at a time, with freshmen and some other undergraduate students on campus in the fall and seniors in the spring. All classes will still be held online to limit the transmission of the coronavirus and risk of illness to staff and professors.
“Even with the many adaptations that will be in place this fall, we see enormous value in having [first-year students] on campus in our residential system,” Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said Monday. “Though we are far from a decision about spring, as we describe below, making sure that seniors have their final semester on campus, to finish their thesis work and complete their four-year journey, is a priority we hold dear.”
