July 7 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 11:32 p.m. ET, July 7, 2020
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12:23 p.m. ET, July 7, 2020

Brazilian president tests positive for Covid-19

From CNN's Ingrid Formanek

President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro speaks at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil on June 17.
President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro speaks at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil on June 17. Andressa Anholete/Getty Images

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for Covid-19, Bolsonaro himself announced, speaking on Brazilian TV channels Tuesday.

"Everyone knew that it would reach a considerable part of the population sooner or later. It was positive for me,” Bolsonaro said, referring to the Covid-19 tests he took Monday.

Brazil’s Ministry of Communications said in a statement that the president maintains a good state of health and is, at that moment, at the Palácio da Alvorada.

Some background: Bolsonaro had a Covid-19 test and a lung scan at a Brasilia hospital Monday evening. He told his supporters gathered outside the Presidential Palace in Brasilia after returning from the hospital, that he had undergone tests and had gotten a lung screening which came back “clean.”  

As he awaited the results of his latest Covid-19 test, Bolsonaro was being treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, Bolsonaro said in a phone call with CNN affiliate CNN Brasil.

CNN Brasil also reported Monday that the president said he was showing symptoms consistent with Covid-19, including a 38 degree Celsius fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit). Bolsonaro's office told CNN Brasil Tuesday that his temperature was normal.

Bolsonaro has derided coronavirus as just a "little flu," and previously appeared in public and at rallies without a mask, even hugging supporters.

He has encouraged the country to reopen, even as the number of cases rises, and has criticized local governments' efforts to stamp out the virus through social distancing measures, such as quarantine and shelter-in-place orders.

Brazil's latest Covid-19 figures: Brazil is second only to the US in numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths. More than 65,000 people have died of the virus in Brazil, according to figures released by the country's health ministry on Monday, and 1,623,284 cases have been confirmed so far.

With reporting from Sara John, Marcia Reverdosa and Taylor Barnes

This post has been updated to show that Bolsonaro spoke to CNN Brasil about being treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as he awaited Covid-19 results.

WATCH:

11:46 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

University System of Georgia will now require masks on campus

From CNN's Elizabeth Hartfield

Starting July 15, the University System of Georgia will now require students, faculty and visitors to wear face coverings when inside campus buildings and/or when social distancing is not possible at all of its colleges and universities, USG announced on its website.

The move — a reversal in policy — comes after hundreds of faculty members at Georgia Tech sent a letter to the university system saying that the now-previous policy of not mandating masks was irresponsible and posed a danger to the health of the faculty and the community. 

11:18 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

Louisville men's basketball pauses activities due to positive coronavirus tests

From CNN's Wayne Sterling

The University of Louisville men's basketball has temporarily suspended all basketball voluntary activities for two weeks after two members tested positive for the coronavirus, Kenny Klein, senior associate athletic director, said in a statement Tuesday. 

"All proper procedures and protocols are being followed, including the quarantining of those impacted," the statement said. "We look forward to a resumption of men's basketball activities in the near future."

The announcement did not specify if players or staff tested positive for the virus.

12:06 p.m. ET, July 7, 2020

At least 84 offenders and 9 employees have died from Covid-19 in Texas prisons

From CNN's Kay Jones

There have been 84 offender and nine employee deaths across the prison system in Texas due to Covid-19, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

TDCJ announced on Monday that corrections officer V. Kenneth Harbin, who had more than 30 years of service with the agency, died on July 4, becoming the ninth employee to die in connection with the virus.

In the latest information released on July 1 by TDCJ, 8,811 offenders and 1,556 employees have tested positive for Covid-19. Of those, 84 offenders have died and another 28 deaths are under investigation. 

The TDCJ says they have tested 117,765 offenders and 35,662 employees for the virus systemwide. 

The intake of offenders from county jails resumed on July 1 on a limited basis. TDJC says they are coordinating with each county on the Covid-19 screening process to ensure each inmate is suitable for intake.

Once the inmate has arrived, he or she will be medically screened and then quarantined separately for 14 days. The person will then be transferred to a Covid-free housing area in the general population, according to a release by TDCJ.

Approximately 250 offenders will be brought in each week and TDCJ says it will continue to monitor data to make decisions about expansion.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice manages more than 146,000 offenders in state prisons, jails and private correctional facilities and has more than 36,000 employees. 

10:52 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

Brown University to reconfigure academic calendar from two semesters to three this school year

From CNN's Elizabeth Hartfield

Brown University will reconfigure its academic calendar for the 2020-21 school year and offer three terms  —fall, spring and summer  —allowing for all undergraduate students to be on campus for two of the three terms, reducing the overall number of students on campus at once. 

The fall session will begin in September and move to all remote after Thanksgiving.

The spring session will be on campus January through April and then will move to remote for final exams, and the summer term will begin in May and be on campus May through August. 

First-years will be welcomed to campus for the spring and summer terms, juniors and seniors will be on campus for the fall and spring terms, and the sophomore class will be split between the three. 

10:47 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

New York City to vote on opening 3,000 childcare centers later this month, mayor says

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was “crucial” to bring back childcare and announced the NYC Board of Health will be voting on allowing 3,000 childcare centers to reopen on July 13 later today.

These will be subject to strict state requirements, with no more than 15 children per room, social distancing, face coverings for staff and children, daily health screenings, frequent cleanings and disinfections, limited sharing of items, he said.

He said that only 125 childcare programs have been open since April for the children of essential workers. 

De Blasio said he is hopeful this measure can move forward and will update on its progress later Tuesday.

11:15 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

New York adds Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma to traveler quarantine list

From CNN's Elizabeth Joseph

A member of the Kansas National Guard collects a sample at a drive-thru Covid-19 testing site in Dodge City, Kansas, on May 20.
A member of the Kansas National Guard collects a sample at a drive-thru Covid-19 testing site in Dodge City, Kansas, on May 20. Charlie Riedel/AP

Individuals visiting New York State from Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma will be required to quarantine for 14 days, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in a statement Tuesday morning.

“The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average," the statement said.

The three states are among 19 that meet the metrics to qualify for the traveler quarantine advisory.

Some context: There were 10 coronavirus-related deaths recorded in New York on Monday, bringing the statewide death toll to 24,924.

At least 588 of the 56,736 coronavirus tests conducted Monday were positive (1.04%), according to Cuomo’s office. 

10:51 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

Palestinian Authority reports surging Covid-19 numbers

From CNN's Andrew Carey and Kareem Khadder

Relatives and staff from the Palestinian Ministry of Health stand by the body of a person said to have died from Covid-19 before burial in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on June 29.
Relatives and staff from the Palestinian Ministry of Health stand by the body of a person said to have died from Covid-19 before burial in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on June 29. Hazem Bader/AFP/Getty Images

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is fighting to contain surging new Covid-19 infection numbers, with the southern West Bank city of Hebron the worst affected location.

On Tuesday, the PA reported 306 new cases of the coronavirus, of which 278 were located in Hebron and surrounding areas.

The situation in the West Bank mirrors closely what is happening in Israel. Both Israeli and Palestinian leaders won praise early in the pandemic for introducing tough restrictions on movement, resulting in both locations seeing a sharp decline in new infection numbers in the second half of April and into May.

Now, weeks after both leaderships lifted restrictions, coronavirus numbers are spiking sharply again. 

PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that more than 80% of new infections were the result of gatherings at weddings or funerals. The rest – 18% – he said were the result of Palestinian workers contracting the illness in Israel and bringing it back to the West Bank.

In a somewhat eye-catching request, he called on Israel to close the crossings between Israel and the West Bank and appealed to Palestinian workers to refrain from taking work in Israel, a move that would have an adverse economic impact for the PA.

10:22 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

Here's where America's internationals students are from

From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez and Catherine E. Shoichet

International students who are pursuing degrees in the United States may have to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities switch to online-only courses, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Monday.

The move could affect thousands of foreign students who come to the United States to attend universities or participate in training programs, as well as non-academic or vocational studies.

Universities nationwide are beginning to make the decision to transition to online courses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. At Harvard, for example, all course instruction will be delivered online, including for students living on campus. For international students, that opens the door to them having to leave the US.

"There's so much uncertainty. It's very frustrating," said Valeria Mendiola, 26, a graduate student at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "If I have to go back to Mexico, I am able to go back, but many international students just can't."

There are roughly 1 million international students in the US. Here's a look at where they're from:

Some background: In a news release Monday, ICE said that students who fall under certain visas "may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States," adding, "The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States."

The agency suggested that students currently enrolled in the US consider other measures, like transferring to schools with in-person instruction. There's an exception for universities using a hybrid model, such as a mix of online and in-person classes.