Brothel loophole, ice rink outbreaks, White House Halloween: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Dothan: With the coronavirus pandemic worsening in the state, Dothan school officials are planning a “virtual day” to prepare for the possibility that classes will have to quit meeting in person. The southeast Alabama system will have both junior high and high school students participate in online classes Oct. 30 as a way of “proactively preparing for future closures,” The Dothan Eagle reports. A combination of the pandemic, the upcoming flu season and statewide staffing problems created the need for a test run, the system said in a statement. School districts around the state have used a combination of in-person teaching, online learning and varying schedules to cope with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. The pandemic appears to be getting worse in Alabama as residents grow tired of preventive measures like distancing and mask-wearing, which slowed the spread of the disease after a summertime peak, health officials said.

Alaska

Palmer: An early voting location in the city closed temporarily Friday after a poll worker was diagnosed with COVID-19, the Division of Elections said. The division, in a statement, said the risk to voters who cast ballots early at the main administrative offices of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough is considered to be low. The worker wore a face covering, and a partition separated the worker from voters, the division said. Early voting at the location began Monday, and the division said the worker was at the location through Thursday. The Palmer location is undergoing cleaning and is set to reopen Monday morning, the division said. The division highlighted as an alternative in the meantime the Wasilla Public Library, which will continue to have voting hours through Election Day on Nov. 3.

Arizona

Phoenix: State health officials on Sunday reported 1,392 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and five additional deaths. It’s the highest reported single-day case total in the state since Sept. 17. Arizona continues to see a slow yet steady increase in the average number of coronavirus cases reported each day as a decline that lasted through August and September reverses. State Department of Health Services officials said the latest numbers increase Arizona’s totals to 238,163 known infections and 5,874 known deaths. In the past month, Arizona has seen a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations, but levels are well below the thousands of cases reported on some days in June and July when the state was a national hot spot. The outbreak diminished in August and September as many local governments imposed mask mandates and the state revived some business restrictions.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The state on Friday reported 1,337 new probable and confirmed coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day spike since the pandemic began. “Today we see new cases significantly higher than last Friday,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement. “Let’s avoid those gatherings where groups are not adhering to social distancing and mask wearing.” The state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations, which have surged to record highs in recent weeks, increased by 12 to 624 on Friday. The state experienced its largest number of hospitalizations on Tuesday with 637. The increase in cases comes amid an outbreak among state legislators. Five lawmakers last week tested positive for the virus. Hutchinson, a Republican, has limited his meetings and public appearances after being exposed to someone with the virus, though he said he has tested negative four times since the exposure.

California

Redding: Shasta County has been moved back to a less restrictive tier for coronavirus infections after pleading with state officials to avoid closing down businesses. The Northern California county will return to the red tier for substantial virus transmission. State health officials recently announced that the county of 180,000 people would be moved to the purple tier for widespread virus transmission, which would have required business closures. County officials said the state reversed course after evaluating more recent coronavirus data and seeing that cases were declining and that local authorities had made progress stemming outbreaks at a nursing home and evangelical college. “This is a huge relief for our local businesses,” said Public Health Branch Director Robin Schurig.

Colorado

Denver: Citing a steady increase in the state’s coronavirus hospitalization caseload, health officials announced new limits Friday on personal gatherings of people from different households in more than two dozen counties. An amended state health order affecting 29 of the state’s counties limits personal gatherings to 10 people from no more than two households. Gatherings of up to 25 people were previously permitted in those counties, Colorado Public Radio reports. Personal gatherings in 30 other Colorado counties were already restricted to 10 people. No new limits were imposed for five counties with lesser caseloads. The Department of Public Health and Environment said it took the action after investigators determined that COVID-19 cases associated with social gatherings and community exposure had been more common since July.

Connecticut

Hartford: The economic toll inflicted on the state by the coronavirus pandemic has been blunted somewhat by what appears to be an influx of newcomers who are boosting both the real estate market and the state budget. Joanne Breen, the 2020 president of the Connecticut Association of Realtors, said Friday that it has been the busiest year for agents in at least 12 years. Some of that brisk business is due to people who planned to buy homes anyway, she said. But she also said she believes concerns about COVID-19 have made Connecticut a more attractive place for out-of-staters, including New York residents, to move their families. A survey released last week by real estate giant Re/Max identified the Hartford metro area, which includes Hartford, Tolland and Middlesex counties, as having the third-largest year-to-year percentage increase in sales among 53 metro areas across the U.S. when compared with September 2019.

Delaware

Greenwood: A COVID-19 outbreak at Woodbridge High School has led to the district closing the campus for the next two weeks as a safety precaution. During that time, the situation will be investigated, and the building will undergo cleaning, the district said in a letter to families Friday afternoon. In the meantime, all students will shift to remote learning. Woodbridge was one of the few Delaware school districts that started the year with some in-person classes. Two months into the school year, it is also the first district to temporarily close a school as a COVID-19 safety precaution. Between Sept. 1 and Oct. 23, 24 students and 75 staff have tested positive for COVID-19 in Delaware public schools, according to the Division of Public Health. In private schools, 54 students and 26 staff have tested positive.

District of Columbia

Washington: With a bit of rejiggering, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump played host Sunday to hundreds of superheroes, unicorns, skeletons and even a miniature version of themselves as part of a Halloween celebration at the White House. In years past, the president and first lady personally handed out candy to the costume-clad kids. This year, the treats were provided separately as participants walked along a path on the South Lawn. The kids still briefly met the president and first lady, who waved and offered words of encouragement from a safe distance about how much they liked the costumes. Trump and the first lady have both recently recovered from COVID-19. The spooky celebration was changed up a bit as a result of the pandemic. Guests older than 2 were required to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. The same went for all White House personnel working the event.

Florida

Orlando: The top health official in one of the state’s most populous counties is discouraging parents from hosting birthday parties for their children, no matter the size, in an effort to prevent outbreaks of the new coronavirus. Dr. Raul Pino, health officer for Florida Department of Health in Orange County, said half of the 30 attendees at a recent Sweet 16 party in the Orlando area came down with the virus. Last month, an Orange County high school closed for two weeks after students who had attended a birthday party tested positive for the virus. “We will continue to see consequences if we don’t act super-responsibly,” Pino said Thursday at a news conference. Orange County, home to some of the nation’s most famous theme park resorts, has seen a moderate uptick in virus cases in the past few days, Pino said. In recent days, the county’s positivity rate has crossed into the 6% range after being in the 5% range.

Georgia

Atlanta: Two staff members for Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler tested positive for the coronavirus, but a test of the senator came back negative, the senator’s office said Saturday. Loeffler was tested Friday after learning about the positive tests of two Senate staff members, her office said in a brief statement. The statement did not say whether the senator had close contact with the staff members or planned additional tests. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 should quarantine for two weeks. Loeffler was “more energized than ever to vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as the next Supreme Court Justice on Monday before returning home and traveling the state to meet with hardworking Georgians,” the statement said. She also tested negative earlier this month and continued campaigning after coming into contact with President Donald Trump, who was treated for the virus.

Hawaii

Honolulu: The state had more than 65,000 travelers arrive in the islands in the first week of its pre-travel coronavirus testing program, a state effort to get the tourism-based economy moving again amid the pandemic. State officials said in an email to the Associated Press on Friday that 66,644 people were screened between the Oct. 15 launch and Thursday. Of those visitors – including returning residents, tourists and others – 41,783 tested negative for the coronavirus and were allowed to skip the previously required two weeks of quarantine. Some people came to Hawaii with the wrong kind of test. The state accepts only negative nucleic acid amplification tests. Other travelers on the same flights chose to come to Hawaii without being tested at all. More than 7,500 people on the first week’s flights were ordered to quarantine.

Idaho

Coeur d’Alene: Even as the health care situation worsened in northern Idaho, the Panhandle Health District voted to repeal a local mask mandate, acting moments after hearing how the Kootenai Health hospital in Coeur d’Alene had reached 99% capacity. The state is experiencing its largest coronavirus spike since the pandemic began, with new cases increasing statewide by 46.5% over the past two weeks. Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, has declined to take steps such as requiring masks statewide to slow the virus’s spread. Dr. Joshua Kern, vice president of St. Luke’s in the Magic Valley region that includes Twin Falls and Jerome, said Thursday that he and other medical professionals are scared. “The purpose of any intervention around coronavirus has been to prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed, and here I am today saying the hospital is being overwhelmed,” he said. A day later, on Friday, his hospital announced it would send younger patients to Boise.

Illinois

Springfield: The state’s public health director on Friday again pleaded with residents to wear face coverings to slow the spread of the coronavirus, breaking at one point and pausing to compose herself after reporting the day’s grim COVID-19 statistics. As the numbers of cases rise to levels rivaling the nightmare spring when hospitals scrambled for beds to treat the sick, Dr. Ngoze Ezike rallied residents to resist “COVID fatigue” by thinking of health care and other essential workers who cannot avoid the public on a daily basis. “If you’re talking about COVID fatigue from having to keep wearing a mask, think about the COVID fatigue for health care workers … trying to fight for people’s lives,” Ezike said. Illinois health officials on Saturday reported a one-day record for new confirmed cases, adding 6,161. The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 63 more people have died of the virus, bringing the statewide total for the pandemic to 9,481.

Indiana

Indianapolis: The state reported its third-highest single-day total of new coronavirus infections Friday as the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 across Indiana continued to rise. The 2,519 new infections reported by the Indiana State Department of Health fell short of the 2,880 new infections the agency reported Thursday, which was a daily high of newly reported cases in Indiana. The department’s daily update of its coronavirus dashboard also showed 1,548 Hoosiers hospitalized with the coronavirus, the most since May 5. Of those, 434 were in intensive care, the most since May 17. A greater percentage of Indiana’s ICU beds are filled than at any other point in the pandemic. Almost 70% of beds were in use Friday, according to the health department, leaving 2,150 available ICU beds. That number was more than 3,270 earlier in the pandemic.

Iowa

Iowa City: The state has among the nation’s highest coronavirus death and infection rates, and residents should avoid gatherings in most counties to fight the virus, federal experts say. The virus infected and killed about twice as many people per capita in Iowa as the national average between Oct. 10 and Oct. 16, the White House Coronavirus Task Force reported. That included a 33% weekly increase in deaths. The number of new cases increased, even after climbing for weeks, as did the state’s test positivity rate, the panel said in an Oct. 18 report released Friday by the Iowa Department of Public Health. The grim statistics came as Iowa’s hospitals faced a surge of coronavirus patients, hitting a record 536, according to data released Thursday. Despite the crisis, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds routinely says that residents need to “learn how to live with” the virus and that stricter public health measures would harm the economy.

Kansas

Topeka: The state set new records Friday for its largest seven-day increases in new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths with what its top public health official called “a generalized spread” of the virus. The state has averaged more than 700 new cases a day this month, and the figure was a record 768 for the seven days ending Friday, beating the previous high mark of 757 for the seven days ending Wednesday. The state Department of Health and Environment reported 1,774 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Wednesday, an increase of 2.4% that brought the total for the pandemic to 76,230. Dr. Lee Norman, the state health department’s head, said the generalized spread of the virus in Kansas has resulted from resistance to wearing masks in public, continuing to have mass gatherings, crowded school athletic events, and bringing students back to college and university campuses.

Kentucky

Louisville: A member of Congress says he won’t be receiving the coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available. Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie tweeted Thursday that he hopes a vaccine is developed soon, but he doesn’t plan to use it. When asked about it, Massie said in a statement that he didn’t see the vaccine as necessary for him. “I’m not in a high/risk category and I trust my natural immune system response over a pharmaceutically stimulated response,” he said. Massie’s tweet came after President Donald Trump said during a presidential debate with former Vice President Joe Biden that a vaccine could come within weeks. Nurse practitioner Alexandra Owensby, who is running against Massie in the Nov. 3 election, said in a statement that “the problem is people feel like the vaccine has been rushed.” Owensby said she hopes at some point most Americans will trust the vaccine enough to get it.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Republicans in the state House filed a petition Friday to revoke Gov. John Bel Edwards’ coronavirus restrictions for a week, as lawmakers finished a special session in which they sought more power over the Democratic governor’s emergency actions but appeared likely to see that effort vetoed. Republicans are invoking a never-before-used process outlined in state law that allows a majority of House lawmakers to nullify the governor’s public health emergency declaration – and all restrictions tied to it – with a petition. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder said Edwards refused to address legislative concerns about his virus rules “in any substantive way.” The petition sent to Edwards was signed by 65 of the House’s 68 Republicans. The governor lashed out at them as ignoring the risks of the virus outbreak for an “unconscionable” partisan political ploy. “Burying heads in the sand and just pretending COVID isn’t a problem isn’t going to help,” he said.

Maine

Alfred: County officials said Friday that a coronavirus outbreak that sickened more than 80 people at a jail is over. The outbreak at York County Jail in Alfred was connected to a larger outbreak centered on a northern Maine wedding and reception. An employee of the jail attended the wedding, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said. The outbreak linked to the Aug. 7 wedding event sickened a total of 178 people and killed eight. The case total includes the cases from the Alfred jail. The County Commissioners of York County said in a statement Friday that no inmates at the Alfred jail are currently receiving treatment and that all staff have returned to work. An inquiry by an outside examiner continues, the commissioners said. A Maine CDC spokesperson confirmed the jail facility met the criteria to close an outbreak investigation Oct. 12. The Maine CDC has said its investigation into the wedding is also closed.

Maryland

Baltimore: Voters can begin to cast ballots in person this week at dozens of sites statewide. Early voting centers open Monday morning and will operate daily until Nov. 2. Maryland has allowed early in-person voting since 2010, but it wasn’t offered during the June primary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many early voting center locations have changed, with senior centers and privately owned buildings replaced by empty schools to protect health, The Baltimore Sun reports. Local election directors decided on what safety measures to utilize, but socially distanced lines, plastic glass shields and frequent sanitizing of equipment are expected. More than 1.6 million Maryland residents already requested mail-in ballots by a deadline earlier this month. More than 45% of those residents have returned them.

Massachusetts

Boston: The state has ordered the shutdown of every indoor ice skating facility in Massachusetts for two weeks in response to several COVID-19 clusters linked to ice hockey games and practices. The order took effect Friday and lasts until Nov. 7, according to the state Department of Public Health. At least 30 clusters of COVID-19 have been associated with organized ice hockey activities involving residents from more than 60 cities and towns in the state, the department said. Each includes two or more confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases, for a total of 108 confirmed cases. “This pause will allow for the development of stronger COVID-19 protocols to further protect players, families, coaches, arena staff and other participants, as well as communities surrounding hockey rinks,” the agency said in a statement. College and professional programs are exempt from the order.

Michigan

Lansing: More than 3,000 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus – the most yet during the pandemic – were reported Saturday amid what a top health official called “alarming increases” in infections around the state. The 3,338 new COVID-19 cases reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services surpassed the state’s previous single-day record of 2,030 new cases set Oct. 15. That earlier record had topped the previous record of 1,953 from early April. The state agency also reported 35 more deaths from COVID-19, raising Michigan’s pandemic toll to 7,182 deaths. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive, said in a statement that “if rates continue like this, we risk overwhelming our hospitals and having many more Michiganders die.” She said Michigan is continuing to see coronavirus infection clusters associated with facilities, programs and schools.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: The state reported one of its largest one-day tallies of new coronavirus cases Saturday as 2,268 people tested positive. The number of new cases is the second-highest reported during the pandemic, just below the 2,297 cases reported Oct. 16. The positivity rate of testing has also climbed in recent days, an indication that infections are increasing. The seven-day average positivity rate was 6.53%, according to date from the COVID Tracking Project. Health officials have said the uptick in cases is due to more infections spreading among people rather than increased testing showing more cases. The upward trend in new cases has been followed by an uptick in deaths from COVID-19, with the seven-day average number of deaths above 14. The Minnesota Department of Health reported 14 more deaths Saturday, with nine of those in long-term care and assisted-living facilities, bringing the state’s death toll to 2,328.

Mississippi

Jackson: State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs and other health officials said COVID-19 is starting to affect more young and white residents in Mississippi as the number of new cases continues to grow. “We’ve seen a pretty dramatic shift where early on, (cases were) two-thirds African American, and now it’s kinda moved to two-thirds Caucasian,” he said during a news conference Friday. Dobbs said even though there are more white residents in the state, things have gotten to the point where the virus is disproportionately affecting that segment of the total population. He encouraged residents to take precautions seriously. “Let’s learn the lessons from the past, and let’s all just be careful,” he said. State epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said younger people, especially the school-age population, are the fastest-growing segment among reported cases. Residents in the 50-59 age range and those over 65 are also seeing higher numbers, he said.

Missouri

St. Louis: Gov. Mike Parson’s coronavirus diagnosis came about a week after he visited a state office building despite being warned about an outbreak among workers, emails show. The emails obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch show that a public relations officer at the Department of Commerce and Insurance asked Parson’s spokeswoman whether the governor wanted to move forward with Sept. 16 event at the Harry S Truman State Office Building in Jefferson City “given the building situation.” Parson, a Republican, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Sept. 23. Parson made numerous other in-person visits elsewhere in the days before he tested positive, including a visit to the Mount Vernon Veterans Home, which subsequently logged its first case of the virus. Though some photographs show Parson wearing a mask during this time, others show him without a mask.

Montana

Kalispell: State and county health officials have started cracking down on businesses that aren’t enforcing Gov. Steve Bullock’s mask mandate, which was put in place in July to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services sought court approval in Flathead County to force four businesses to come into compliance with the mandate, the Flathead Beacon reports. The state is seeking temporary restraining orders against Sykes Diner and Mercantile in Kalispell, Remington Bar and Casino in Whitefish, Your Lucky Turn Tavern in Bigfork and Ferndale Market. The governor’s mandate requires face coverings to be worn in all indoor spaces open to the public in counties that have four or more current cases of COVID-19. It also requires businesses to take “reasonable measures” to ensure customers, employees and others follow the mandate.

Nebraska

Lincoln: State public health officials confirmed another 977 coronavirus cases Thursday, bringing the state’s total to 61,285, according to its tracking portal. The number tracks with a recent surge in cases that led Gov. Pete Ricketts to reimpose some social distancing restrictions to avoid overwhelming Nebraska’s hospitals. State officials say 559,625 people in Nebraska have gotten tested since the pandemic began, and 498,023 have tested negative. They’ve confirmed 587 virus-related deaths so far. Nebraska’s hospitals still have 1,336 beds available for patients, about 29% of their total capacity. They also have 198 intensive care beds available, accounting for 31% of the total supply, and 632 ventilators that can be used, roughly 77% of the total.

Nevada

Reno: Brothels remain closed under state restrictions imposed because of the pandemic, but a rural county is allowing brothels to offer non-sexual escort services. The Lyon County Board of Commissioners approved the new authorization for the four brothels in the county Oct. 15. Because the brothels remain closed, the sex workers must meet customers elsewhere for escort services authorized under the ordinance. More than 500 people were unemployed due to the brothel closings, brothel owner Suzette Cole told the board. Lyon County Manager Jeffery Page said the closures have hurt the local economy. The authorization for escort services will allow brothels to stay in business and provide income for owners and workers, he said. Sex worker Alice Little said many workers, who are considered independent contractors, left the industry to work elsewhere, but she said that is difficult because of the stigma attached to the work.

New Hampshire

Concord: Anyone who went to five restaurants in Portsmouth, Concord and Peterborough on certain days this month should get tested for the coronavirus, state health officials said Friday. The Department of Health and Human Services said at least four people who have tested positive visited Daniel Street Tavern in Portsmouth while potentially infectious, and anyone who was in the bar area Oct. 9, 14 or 15 should get tested. At least one person has tested positive who visited the Goat Bar and Grill in Portsmouth on Oct. 15. In Concord, at least five people who have tested positive visited the Draft Sports Bar and Grill on Oct. 9 and 11 and Oct. 14-18. And at the Barley House Restaurant and Tavern, potential exposure via two people may have occurred Oct. 12, 13, 14 and 16. Exposure also may have occurred Oct. 13 at the Bantam Grill in Peterborough, where at least one person has tested positive.

New Jersey

Red Bank: Gov. Phil Murphy signed two bills into law Friday aimed at addressing staffing shortages and residents’ isolation at the state’s long-term care facilities, two areas of vulnerability exposed during the coronavirus pandemic. The bills signed Friday were an outgrowth of a consultant’s report released in June. More than 7,000 people have died from COVID-19 in New Jersey’s long-term care facilities, about half of the state’s total deaths. In May, the Democratic governor was forced to send the National Guard to nursing homes hit hard by the new coronavirus. The state’s largest facility, in Andover, was fined more than $200,000 by federal health authorities for putting residents in its care at risk. In April, police acting on an anonymous tip found 18 bodies in a makeshift morgue at the home.

New Mexico

Albuquerque: One of the oldest Roman Catholic dioceses in the nation will again be foregoing Sunday Mass indefinitely as the state marks its latest surge of COVID-19 cases. Archbishop John C. Wester is directing churches within the northern New Mexico diocese to cease regular Mass schedules and encouraging Masses to be streamed online or recorded so they can be accessed at home. He’s also calling for funeral services and weddings to be delayed. The guidance comes as state officials have been pushing people to stay home and adhere to the provisions of an amended public health order that took effect Friday. That includes limiting retail hours and temporarily closing businesses the state determines are hot spots for the virus. Wester pointed to data that shows the demographics of cases migrating toward the younger ages and the uptick of hospitalizations, saying there are concerns about the state’s health care system’s capacity.

New York

New York: The number of people hospitalized in the state because of the coronavirus has climbed back over 1,000, officials said Friday. The figure has increased in the past month but is still far below the peak level of the spring. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there were 1,023 hospitalizations around the state as of Thursday. That’s more than double the number that were hospitalized month ago and the first time since late June that the state has seen that many people in hospitals with the virus. At the pandemic’s peak in April, nearly 19,000 people were hospitalized. As is happening around the country to different degrees, New York is seeing an uptick in virus cases as more places like schools and businesses have been opening up. Statewide, 1,637 people tested positive with the virus Thursday, on par with where levels have been for the month.

North Carolina

Charlotte: A state health official on Saturday ordered a large church to close its doors temporarily because of concerns it is helping spread the coronavirus by disregarding social distancing measures. Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris ordered the United House of Prayer for All People to close all its buildings and said the church has not cooperated with efforts to stem the virus’s spread, the Charlotte Observer reports. Harris said at least three deaths and more than 121 confirmed cases of the virus have been linked to the church, which held a weeklong church event earlier this month. The county said the church has continued to hold large gatherings despite recommendations not to do so and has failed to implement social distancing measures. The church did not immediately return a request for comment. On Friday, North Carolina set a new record for a single-day increase in reported COVID-19 cases.

North Dakota

Bismarck: National Guard soldiers have helped to notify 800 people who tested positive for COVID-19 but initially weren’t told, officials said. The notification backlog, which was due to a recent sharp increase in coronavirus cases, was resolved Thursday largely through shifting the role last week of 50 North Dakota National Guard soldiers, health officials said. The soldiers had been informing people they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should monitor their health for signs and symptoms of the virus. On Tuesday, health officials announced the soldiers would instead notify those who test positive for the virus. The North Dakota Department of Health expects the change in contact tracing to be temporary. As part of the new process, public health officials will no longer reach out to close contacts of individuals who test positive for COVID-19. Instead, those testing positive will be instructed to self-notify their close contacts.

Ohio

Columbus: Small businesses, bars and restaurants, low-income renters, arts groups, and colleges and universities are among those eligible for $429 million in federal pandemic dollars being released by the state this week, Gov. Mike DeWine and his fellow Republican legislative leaders announced Friday. The aid package, which the governor has promised for several weeks, is scheduled to go before a bipartisan state legislative spending panel Monday. Its passage is assured with the backing of House Speaker Bob Cupp and Senate President Larry Obhof, who joined the governor at Friday’s virtual news conference. The announcement came on a day when the Ohio Health Department reported 2,518 probable and confirmed cases of the coronavirus, marking the third consecutive day of record-high daily cases in the state.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: A one-day record increase of more than 1,800 newly confirmed coronavirus cases was reported Saturday by the state health department. The Oklahoma State Department of Health report came one day after Gov. Kevin Stitt again extended a state of emergency due to the pandemic. Stitt on Friday extended for 30 days his emergency order first issued March 15. The health department reported 1,829 new cases for a total of 115,685 since the start of the pandemic and 924 people hospitalized due to the virus, down from a record high of 956 hospitalizations Friday. An additional 11 people have died from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, for a death toll of 1,245. The true number of coronavirus cases in Oklahoma is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.

Oregon

Salem: The Oregon Health Authority reported 550 new confirmed COVID-19 cases Friday, the state’s largest daily total since the start of the pandemic. Health officials called the number of cases “troubling” and said that based on current COVID-19 modeling, if Oregon remains on the same path, it could reach capacity in its hospitals by mid-December. The previous daily case count record in Oregon, which also occurred this month, was 484. Officials called Friday’s record-breaking number of new cases “a reminder that Oregonians cannot let their guards down.” Shimi Sharief, the Oregon Health Authority senior health adviser, said health officials “remain cautious” about giving a single day’s total “too much weight.” “That said, we believe this increase is due to continued community transmission from social gatherings, as well as household clusters,” Sharief said.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: State officials on Friday announced the highest single-day total of new cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and a rise in the number of young people getting sick with the virus. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 2,219 new positive cases of the novel coronavirus Friday. That number is almost as high as the two-day total released Monday and tops the state’s previous high count of 2,060 on April 8. “Seeing the highest percent positivity we have seen in several months is concerning. Seeing the highest number of new cases since the pandemic started in Pennsylvania on March 6 is also concerning,” said Nate Wardle, spokesman for the Department of Health. “Nothing is good right now regarding COVID.” State officials are comparing the rate of transmission of the virus to April, when it moved unbidden through nursing homes. But this time, the virus is infecting younger patients.

Rhode Island

Providence: The two highest single-day totals of new confirmed coronavirus cases in Rhode Island since the pandemic began came last week, but the state is conducting more tests than ever. The state Department of Health on Friday said there were 449 new cases confirmed the previous day out of nearly 14,100 tests, a 3.2% positivity rate. The department also adjusted Wednesday’s new confirmed cases up to 470, out of almost 18,000 tests. The previous one-day high was 412 on April 23, but that was out of fewer than 3,000 people tested. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Rhode Island has now surged over the past two weeks from more than 1.5% on Oct. 8 to more than 2.4% on Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. The new confirmed cases over the two days push the state’s total to more than 30,000.

South Carolina

Charleston: More than 71,000 idled workers in the state already have used up their eligibility for state unemployment benefits as the coronavirus pandemic continues, federal statistics show. The Post and Courier reports that the number of people exhausting their 20 weeks of state unemployment eligibility shows many workers who were laid off in the spring don’t have jobs to which to return even though the number of new layoffs has declined. People without additional eligibility can no longer receive money from the state’s unemployment trust fund, which is managed by the S.C. Department of Employment Workforce. But they can claim benefits from two other federal programs that provide as much as 23 weeks of additional financial support. The most recent employment survey estimated there were 65,000 fewer people employed in South Carolina in September than there were in March, when the pandemic was declared.

South Dakota

Pine Ridge: The Oglala Sioux Tribe has locked down the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in response to a surging number of COVID-19 cases in the state. The lockdown began at 10 p.m. Friday and lasts until 6 a.m. Oct. 30. During that time, all noncritical travel is barred. The tribe said nonessential businesses should close to the public, and travel to nonessential work to or from the reservation should stop. The tribe also said nonemergency medical appointments that require travel to or from the reservation should be rescheduled. Tribes nationwide have taken an aggressive approach to preventing infections amid fears that Native Americans could be particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus – and this isn’t the first time the Oglala Sioux Tribe has imposed a lockdown since the pandemic began.

Tennessee

Columbia: A hospital is suspending all elective procedures requiring an overnight stay due to a surge in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. As of Friday evening, Columbia’s Maury Regional Medical Center was treating 50 COVID-19 inpatients, 20 of whom were in the medical center’s 26-bed intensive care unit. In response, the hospital is suspending elective surgical procedures that require an overnight stay for two weeks, beginning Monday, it announced Friday. “The time has long passed for our community to take this virus seriously,” Alan Watson, CEO of Maury Regional Health, said in a Friday statement. “We are seeing the impact of our community letting down their guard, and we must make every effort to mitigate the spread of this virus so that it does not further tax health care providers across Middle Tennessee and the entire state.”

Texas

El Paso: The surge in coronavirus in this border city continued Saturday with a record 1,216 new cases, nearly 20% of the state’s daily count, according to city-county health officials. The city reported 3,346 cases in the previous three days and more than 5,800 in the prior week, according to city-county health reports. El Paso has reported 38,554 total cases since the pandemic began in March. “Now, we need our community to help us by doing their part and staying home, if and when possible, for the next two weeks in order to stop the rapid the spread of the virus,” public health director Angela Mora said in a statement. Gov. Greg Abbott has sent medical equipment and about 500 medical personnel to the region to help fight the virus. President Donald Trump downplayed the toll of the coronavirus during Thursday’s final debate with Joe Biden, claiming that “there was a very big spike in Texas, it’s now gone.”

Utah

Salt Lake City: The state hit another ominous record Friday by tallying the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in a single day as the state struggles to slow a monthlong surge of COVID-19 that is filling intensive care beds at hospitals. After the state reported 1,960 new cases, Gov. Gary Herbert warned in a statement that the state is “on the brink” and once again pleaded with people to adhere to mask mandates in place in 21 of the state’s 29 counties. The Republican governor said people should wear masks anytime they are with people outside their immediate family, even extended family or friends. Capacity at the state’s intensive care units reached 76%, with more people hospitalized last week for COVID-19 than at any other time during the pandemic, state figures show. Four more deaths recorded Friday bring the total to 567. Utah had the seventh-highest rate of newly confirmed infections per capita Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins.

Vermont

Montpelier: A coronavirus outbreak connected to recreational hockey and broomball at an indoor ice rink has grown to 43 cases, including cases at seven schools in various counties, seven workplaces, two colleges and two hospitals, Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said Friday. The cases linked to the Central Vermont Memorial Civic Center are not within a single community, and people who played those sports live in counties across the state, he said during the governor’s twice-weekly virus briefing. The number of close contacts to the people infected now likely exceeds 240, Levine said. Vermont reported 28 new coronavirus cases Friday, its second-highest number since early June, with Levine saying half of the newest cases are associated with three outbreaks. At least seven positive virus cases have been linked to a wedding held in Cambridge on Oct. 10, the Health Department said.

Virginia

Radford: Another fraternity at Radford University is facing consequences for allegedly violating pandemic-related safety guidelines. TV station WDBJ reports the school’s Kappa Alppha Psi chapter was placed on an interim suspension and is being afforded a conduct hearing after university officials said the fraternity hosted an off-campus party. Radford University administered 270 COVID-19 tests last week, 59 of which were positive, the station reports. University officials said half of the cases were attributed to the party. “We can do better, and we must do better,” university spokeswoman Caitlyn Scaggs said. The fraternity’s national office did not immediately respond to a message from the station seeking comment. The school suspended a different fraternity in August, also in connection with off-campus gatherings.

Washington

Seattle: Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau said Friday that the district will remain in a remote learning model for the rest of the current semester because of an increase in COVID-19 cases. Most students will continue to participate in school virtually through January 2021, Juneau said in a news release. The only exception will be for students who receive special education services that require in-person instruction. Officials made the decision because of a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in King County and after consultation with the district’s Re-entry Leadership Team. Juneau said the team – composed of representatives of the School Board, Seattle Education Association, Seattle Council PTSA, the Principals’ Association of Seattle Schools, and students – will meet regularly to talk about next steps.

West Virginia

Charleston: A teachers union lost its bid Friday to stop the state from using its color-coded map to decide whether counties can hold in-person public school classes and athletic competitions amid the pandemic. Judge Carrie Webster denied the West Virginia Education Association’s request for a preliminary injunction after Gov. Jim Justice’s attorney argued the court lacked jurisdiction and said the union did not have evidence that the map is not a rational approach tailored to West Virginia, WCHS-TV reports. The union’s president, Dale Lee, testified that 67% of teachers surveyed had compromising health issues and fears or relatives who were home sick. After the ruling, Lee said the WVEA was disappointed in the outcome. “By choosing to use the lesser of the infection rate or the percentage of positive tests, WVEA and its members believe the governor’s color-coded map changes have created a false picture of COVID spread,” Lee said in a statement.

Wisconsin

Madison: An appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked Gov. Tony Evers’ restrictions on indoor public gatherings pending appeal, dealing the Democratic governor a setback in his efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The ruling from the 3rd District Court of Appeals follows Evers’ administration issuing an emergency order Oct. 6 that limited indoor public gatherings to 25% of a building or room’s capacity or 10 people in places without an occupancy limit. The order also came as COVID-19 cases surged in Wisconsin, which last week was among the worst states in the nation in daily new cases per capita, and its hospitals are near capacity. But the powerful Tavern League of Wisconsin argued the capacity limits amount to a “de facto closure” order for bars and restaurants and sued to strike down the order.

Wyoming

Cody: Yellowstone National Park officials have proposed an earlier opening date and later closure during the winter at an entrance for snowmobiles and snow coaches. Park officials announced plans to open the East Entrance from Dec. 15 to March 15, The Billings Gazette reports. The East Entrance is currently allocated two commercially guided snowmobile trips, one non-commercially guided trip and one commercial snow coach on each day of the winter season. The updated dates for opening the gate located west of Cody would coincide with the park’s two other winter gates, the West Entrance near West Yellowstone, Montana, and the South Entrance near Jackson, Wyoming. Access to the park at the North Entrance near Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, is the only gate open to automobiles for the entire year. The maximum number of snowmobiles currently allowed in the park from all entrances in a day is 480.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brothel loophole, ice rink outbreaks: News from around our 50 states