The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: CDC predicts US death toll could reach 145,000 by July 11; Premier President Michael Alkire says more resiliency needed in health supply chain

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

> Global coronavirus cases surpass 8.5 million 

> CDC predicts US death toll could reach 145,000 by July 11

> Trump blasts Fauci: ‘He has nothing to do with the NFL’ 

> With California mandating masks in public, face covering debate is dividing Americans 

> Washington, DC, to enter phase two reopening Monday 

> Stocks open with gains, pushing Nasdaq above 10K

> Coronavirus traces found in northern Italian wastewater collected in December

> Britain lowers its virus threat level from four to three

> Pandemic threatens to delay potentially life-changing new medicines

> 13 University of Texas football players test positive for COVID-19 

> Premier President Mike Alkire says more resiliency is needed in health supply chain, calls for new infrastructure investment to attract manufacturing back to US

 

Fauci and football? Trump blasts health adviser saying he ‘has nothing to do with NFL Football.’ President Trump pushed back on comments his top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, made about the risks of an NFL season on Friday, indicating he wants the season to go forward. “Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football,” Trump tweeted. “They are planning a very safe and controlled opening. However, if they don’t stand for our National Anthem and our Great American Flag, I won’t be watching!!!” 

As the debate over the reality of a 2020 NFL season heats up, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach has tested positive for the coronavirus. Uh oh! Tom Brady’s coaches have coronavirus. A Buccaneers assistant has tested positive for COVID-19 and two other Tampa Bay assistants have been quarantined, according to ESPN. The coach who tested positive is asymptomatic.

THE INTERVIEW

MIchael Alkire, president, Premier

Premier President Michael Alkire says more resiliency is needed in health supply chain and calls for infrastructure investment to attract manufacturing back to U.S. 

 

 

 

THE HILL’S CORONAVIRUS REPORT

Welcome to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report. It’s Friday, June 19th.

Editor’s Note.

 

Happy Juneteenth. This is an important date on the calendar, commemorating the ending of slavery 155 years ago. It’s also a time to survey what we have accomplished — and not — in ending the racial divides in America. The slayings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and thousands of other black men and women who have been victims of abuse and injustice — as well as Black Lives Matter protests all over the world — glare at us, making clear that we are nowhere near where we need to be as a genuinely fair, free and inclusive society.

 

I want to salute someone who has done her part to achieve when others might have tried to block her because of her gender or race and that is the new CEO of BIO, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Michelle McMurry-Heath. McMurry-Heath is a black scientist and former pharmaceutical firm senior executive who is now at the helm of one of the nation’s most significant associations as many of its members are those we are counting on for vaccines and antivirals to fight COVID-19. I interviewed BIO’s new president here for the Coronavirus Report and it’s worth the time to watch.  

 

I asked McMurry-Heath about the bias against those of color in the sciences and how to reverse this and she said:

 

We are going to be having a very interesting dialogue surrounding race at our BIO digital conference, which is taking place next week, and we are going to face this very difficult conversation head-on. And I believe that frank dialogue is where we need to start. But then there needs to be followed very closely by a lot of action. You need to figure out what we can do to build the bridges and make sure that we have a more inclusive and diverse scientific community. I personally have benefited from so many great efforts from people of color, but also people who aren’t of color, who really have wrapped their arms around scientists, young scientists trying to come up in the field. And I think we need to do more of that. But stay tuned. There’s going to be a lot more to come and you’re going to see BIO front and center on this effort because it is critical to advance in science and making sure that science is successful.

 

I think holidays — though Juneteenth is not yet a national holiday (should be!) — are as much a time for introspection and reflection as celebration. So, let’s celebrate what can be celebrated on this important day but also realize that civil rights remain fragile in this country for many, and it shouldn’t be that way.

 

– Steve Clemons

 

Your Coronavirus Report team includes Steve Clemons, editor-at-large of The Hill, and researcher Andrew Wargofchik. Follow us on Twitter at @SCClemons and @a_wargofchik. 

 

Click here to subscribe to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report

Click here to subscribe to our Overnight Healthcare Newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things coronavirus 

THE HILL ‘VIRTUALLY’ LIVE

America’s Unfinished Business: An LGBTQ+ Summit | June 30, 2020

 

There has been monumental progress on LGBTQ+ rights in recent decades as mainstream cultural shifts drove wider acceptance and committed allies won long-fought battles at the local, state and federal levels.

 

Yet, as we write this, many in America continue to suffer daily discrimination, marginalization and violence in their homes, schools, neighborhoods and workplaces, in acts seen and unseen, big and small.

 

Join The Hill for a Pride month summit to discuss the fragility of civil rights in America today with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community. The forum will focus on constructive paths forward, lessons learned from civil rights advances, and will recognize that there are an array of perspectives of how to prioritize effort and focus when it comes to securing and making civil rights a reality in our daily lives.

  CLICK HERE to register and see our full lineup of speakers.

CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

There are 8,546,919 reported cases of COVID-19 throughout the world and 454,889 have died from the virus as of the time of this newsletter. 

 

The U.S. is reporting 2,203,659 and 118,695 deaths. Brazil has 978,142 cases. Russia 568,292. India 380,532. U.K. 303,281. Spain 245,575. Peru 244,388. Italy 238,159. Chile 231,393. Iran 200,262. France 195,272. Germany 190,274. 

Elsewhere around the world: 

> Britain has lowered the level of its virus alert from four to three. 

> Spain has added a backlog of more than 1,000 virus deaths. 

> Germany on Friday reported its highest daily increase in virus cases. 

> India reported a record rise of new cases Friday and the southern city of Chennai is now back in lockdown. 

> Latin America, Africa and South Asia are emerging as the new global hot spots. 

 

New York is reporting 385,760 cases. New Jersey 168,358. California 167,234. Illinois 134,778. Massachusetts 106,422. Texas 101,431. Florida 89,748. Pennsylvania 84,683. Michigan 66,798. Maryland 63,548. Georgia 60,912. Virginia 56,793. Louisiana 48,634. North Carolina 48,167. 

 

Here at home: observations from The Hill’s Reid Wilson 

> Arizona had its worst day yet Thursday, +2,572 cases.

> California had its worst day Wednesday, +4,237.

> Connecticut had just 11 new cases Thursday, lowest since mid-March.

> Florida worst day on Thursday, +3,207 cases.

> Hawaii worst day on Thursday, +18 cases.

> Idaho worst day since early May on Thursday, +110 cases.

> Maryland reported 274 new cases, lowest since March 31.

> Massachusetts reported 87 cases on Monday, lowest since March 20.

> Michigan 56 new cases Monday, lowest since March 18.

> Missouri worst day since early April on Thursday, +337.

> Montana worst day on Thursday, +25 cases.

> Nevada had its worst day yet on Tuesday, +357 cases.

> New York has gone 12 straight days with fewer than 1,000 cases.

> North Carolina has reported 1,000+ new cases on seven of the past eight days.

> Ohio reported its worst day Thursday since late May, +700 cases.

> Oklahoma had its worst day on Thursday, +450 cases, the day after it set its previous record, +259.

> Oregon had its worst day on Tuesday, +277 cases, most have been tied to an evangelical church in a rural county.

> South Carolina had its worst day on Thursday, +992 cases.

> Texas has had its three worst days this week, +4,246 on Tuesday, +3,493 on Wednesday, +3,211 on Thursday. It reported more than 1,000 new cases on 23 of the past 24 days. This sure feels like an emerging New York-type situation.

> Utah had its worst day on Thursday, +551 new cases

> Vermont has gone a week without a double-digit increase, the longest streak in the country.

 

The U.S. is reporting the results of 25,403,498 COVID-19 tests and 599,115 full recoveries from the virus.

WASHINGTON WATCH

CDC predicts U.S. death toll could reach 145,000 by July 11. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that the U.S. death toll from the novel coronavirus could rise to as high as 145,000 by July 11, meaning as many as 26,000 Americans could die in the next few weeks. This latest forecast was made from 21 individual predictions across the country, according to the CDC. The forecast suggests the death toll could be between 129,000 and 145,000. (Washington Post) 

A federal agency halts research funding of treatments for lung damage caused by COVID-19. The virus kills by filling the lungs with fluid and robbing the body of oxygen, yet the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a federal health agency known as BARDA, notified companies and researchers this month that it was halting funding for new treatments for this severe form of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. (New York Times)

LAWMAKERS TWEET

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) 

@RepJimmyGomez Nursing homes & long-term care facilities have been hit hardest by #COVID19.But @realDonaldTrump STILL doesn’t have a national testing plan & caretakers are working without the #PPE they need. My colleagues & I are demanding @SecAzar institute a coordinated plan to save lives.

 

Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.) 

@RepCarolMiller Today we celebrate #JUNETEENTH2020 to commemorate the ending of slavery in America. On this day, 165 years ago, freedom was finally granted for all. We must remember this day, and always hold true our ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all Americans.

 

Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) 

@RepFilemonVila @GovRonDeSantis unlike you, #COVID19 does not discriminate. Thousands of Hispanic workers are essential workers – so are you blaming healthcare workers too? Quit scapegoating. It’s time you take responsibility for your lack of leadership in dealing with this crisis.

ACROSS THE NATION

Mask wearing becomes political even as governors ease resistance. Some state and local leaders are softening their resistance to issuing public masking requirements as emerging research shows face coverings can slow the spread of COVID-19, even as others are doubling down on their opposition. The debate over whether to require face coverings in public has become increasingly politicized in recent weeks, even as COVID-19 cases have increased in the Sun Belt and some other parts of the country as lockdowns across the country have greatly eased. (The Hill) 

 

This comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday mandated masks for most public activity as coronavirus numbers continue to surge. California officials on Thursday mandated wearing a mask in public with few exceptions.”Science shows that face coverings and masks work,” Newsom said in a statement. “They are critical to keeping those who are around you safe, keeping businesses open and restarting our economy.” (NBC News) 

 

DC’s phase two reopening to begin on Monday. Phase two of D.C.’s coronavirus reopening will begin Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Friday. This will allow certain businesses to reopen and activities to resume under specified conditions outlined at coronavirus.dc.gov/phasetwo. (WTOP) 

 

13 University of Texas football players test positive for COVID-19. More than a dozen University of Texas football players have tested positive or are presumed to be positive for the coronavirus, the school’s sports medicine director said Thursday. (NBC News) 

WORLD VIEW

Britain lowers its coronavirus threat level from four to three. Britain lowered its coronavirus threat level one notch Friday, becoming the latest country to claim it’s getting a national outbreak under control. (Associated Press) 

 

Coronavirus traces found in northern Italian wastewater collected in December. A new study co-led by scientists with the Italian National Institute of Health has found that the first traces of the coronavirus emerged in wastewater in several northern Italian cities as early as December. (Washington Post) 

 

UN seeks urgent funding for pandemic aid transport. The United Nations food agency warned Thursday that without immediate funding its global transport system will stop delivering thousands of tons of masks, gloves and other critical equipment to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic to 132 countries by the third week of July. (Associated Press)

SCIENCE

Researchers request clinical trials for osteoporosis drug to treat COVID-19. Researchers backed by the European Union have requested clinical trials to study the potential of an osteoporosis drug, raloxifene, as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus. The Exscalate4CoV research consortium virtually screened more than 400,000 molecules for possible efficacy as an antiviral treatment with a supercomputer and then analyzed 7,000 specimens that showed potential through laboratory and biological tests, according to Politico. (The Hill) 

 

Coronavirus pandemic threatens to delay potentially life-changing new medicines. While some drugmakers have since resumed their clinical trials, the full impact of the postponements for testing new drugs, treatments and vaccines for ailments besides COVID-19 may not be known for months, experts say. (CNBC) 

 

Clover is sixth to launch Chinese COVID-19 vaccine trial. Clover Biopharmaceuticals became the sixth Chinese developer of a potential COVID-19 vaccine to move into human trials on Friday, launching a study in Australia that will test its vaccine with boosters. (Reuters)

BUSINESS

Stocks open with gains, pushing Nasdaq above 10K. Stocks opened with gains Friday, sending the Nasdaq composite above 10,000 points for the second time in its history. (The Hill) 

 

Dow stages nearly 600-point U-turn as Apple says it will temporarily close some stores amid spike in coronavirus cases. U.S. stock indexes staged a powerful reversal Friday after Apple said it would temporarily close some of its stores due to a rapid rise in coronavirus cases in the U.S. (MarketWatch) 

 

DoorDash scores valuation of $16 billion as pandemic pushes it to top of food-delivery chain. Since COVID-19 lockdown orders were issued across the U.S. in mid-March and consumers shifted to ordering delivery for dinner, DoorDash’s sales have surged, according to data from Edison Trends, which studies anonymized and aggregated e-receipts from millions of U.S. consumers. (CNBC) 

 
Private jet companies court new flyers amid health fears. Private jet companies are flying 70 percent or more of their normal, pre-pandemic schedules, even as commercial traffic stands at 15 percent to 17 percent of 2019 totals. Big names in the private flight field, including NetJets, PrivateFly and Vista Jet, have reported a higher than usual level of interest from people who have never flown private as health fears and lower prices draw them away from commercial. (CNBC)

ISSUES, CAUSES, PASSIONS

Three questions every university must ask they plan to reopen. More than 5,000 colleges and universities in the United States are setting their opening plans for the fall. These p­­­lans range from fully online classes and activities, to in-person education with recommended protocols for social distancing and face masks. The variations between these extremes are wide and varied. (Sheldon H. Jacobson and Janet A. Jokela for The Hill) 

 

Rebounding from COVID-19: How whole-person health care can guide the way. America’s economic and racial inequality, thin social safety nets and fragmented health care system are putting the most disadvantaged people at the greatest risk from COVID-19. Yet, in the midst of this crisis, there are inspiring examples of organizations that are transforming health care through trust-based relationships and community partnerships that provide whole-person care for people’s physical, economic and social needs. (Gary Hirsch and Kate Isaacs for The Hill) 

 

Here’s what you need to know about Juneteenth. American history lessons generally teach that when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, it ended the Civil War and slavery. But it took another 30 months and 19 days for the order to be carried out in Galveston, Texas – the last area of the Confederate States of America where African Americans were still enslaved. (Good Morning America)

GENEROUS SPIRITS

“Today” dads talk parenting during pandemic ahead of Father’s Day. Whether it’s been putting their kids to work behind the camera or playing some basketball in the driveway, working from home during the pandemic has given Craig Melvin, Carson Daly and Al Roker plenty of quality dad time with their children. The “Today” co-hosts talked on Friday about their experience of the past few months as they get ready to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday. (Today)

ICYMI: STEVE’S INTERVIEWS, 15 MINUTES EACH

> Steve interviews New American CEO ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER 

> Steve interviews Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN 

> Steve interviews MInnesota Attorney General KEITH ELLISON  

> Steve interviews Kansas City, Mo., Mayor QUINTON LUCAS 

> Steve interviews Eurasia Group President IAN BREMMER 

> Steve interviews former Obama Ebola czar RON KLAIN 

> Steve interviews Rep. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (D-N.Y.) 

> Steve interviews Ready co-founder and CEO JUSTIN DANGEL 

> Steve interviews Botanisol Analytics CEO DAVID TALENFELD 

Watch all Coronavirus Report interviews here.

YOUR WORLD, YOUR STORIES

SEND US YOUR OWN PICS – from your own walks or adventures – during this time of physical distancing but social connection. And SEND US YOUR STORIES of how teleworking is going, what you have learned from homeschooling, new ways to exercise, and special moments or standout heroism you want to share. What’s working for you? What’s comic in these dark days? 

 

Send to YourStories@TheHill.com. Our thoughts are with you, our readers, and we hope and trust that no matter the weight of burdens on you now — and it’s not a good story for everyone we know — that we all stand together, resilient and confident, on the other side of this. There will be another side.

Click here to subscribe to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report

Click here to subscribe to our Overnight Healthcare Newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things coronavirus

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