Cases in Russia top 300,000 cases as outbreak shifts beyond Moscow
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia surpassed 300,000 on Wednesday, but there is some hope found in the official data: daily case growth nationwide fell to 8,764 cases, suggesting a solidified downward trend.
However, the decline in new cases continues to be focused in Moscow, where fewer than 3,000 were reported. Outside Moscow, daily new cases continue to inch higher to more than 6,000 for the first time.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has cautioned that the capital is not yet out of the woods. Some 18,000 COVID-19 patients remain in critical condition in Moscow, he said Tuesday evening.
Large European electronics show will go ahead in person this September
Coronavirus has resulted in the cancellation of many of Europe's big events, but the largest consumer electronics show, the IFA, has said that it will indeed take place in Berlin this September in a format that puts "health and safety first."
The event will take place over three days from September 3, with a strict limit of 1,000 attendees per day.
“After all the event cancellations during the past months, our industry urgently needs a platform where it can showcase its innovation, so that it can recover and rebound," said Jens Heithecker, the Executive Director of IFA Berlin.
Brazil's daily death toll reaches new record
Brazil's daily death toll from the coronavirus jumped to a record 1,179 as President Donald Trump said he is considering a travel ban.
The highest daily toll before Tuesday had been 881 deaths on May 12. The pandemic has killed at least 17,971 people in Brazil, according to the Health Ministry.
Brazil overtook Britain on Monday to become the country with the third-highest number of confirmed infections, behind Russia and the United States. Brazil's confirmed cases also jumped by a record 17,408 on Tuesday, for a total of 271,628 people who have tested positive for the virus.
Restaurants reimagine the dining-out experience post pandemic
Remember how dining out used to be — the dim light, the flickering candle, the cozy corner, the romance? Well, as the poet Robert Graves wrote following a previous cataclysm — World War I — "Goodbye to all that."
As restaurateurs seek to attract customers, the use of enticing words such as "intimate," "cozy" and maybe even "atmospheric" may fall by the wayside.
They'll likely be replaced by words such as "bright," "clean," "spacious" and — who knows? — maybe even "sterile." Not the most romantic of words, but there are lives at stake.
Alaska business restrictions end Friday
Alaska's governor announced Tuesday that all businesses and other activities will be allowed to fully reopen Friday, although some local governments might not do so right away.
Bars, gyms and other businesses have already been cleared to reopen although with reduced capacities. The new order will lift those capacity limits.
"It'll all be open, just like it was prior to the virus," Gov. Mike Dunleavy said, noting that Alaskans are still being asked to keep 6 feet apart, wear masks, wash hands and surfaces, and stay home and get tested if feeling sick.
Dunleavy said Tuesday that over the last 24 hours, no new cases and no new deaths were reported and that more than 36,300 tests have been done.
Alaska has seen 399 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths, according to the state health department.
Waffle House shooter was told to wear a mask, Colorado police say
A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after opening fire on a Waffle House employee who told him he needed to wear a mask, authorities in Colorado said.
He was arrested Monday. The attack happened early Friday at a restaurant in the Denver suburb of Aurora, police said in a statement. Officers responding to a report of a fight and possible shooting found the employee with a gunshot wound, the Aurora Police Department said.
"The victim was transported to the hospital and is recovering from his injury," police said.
U.S. births fall, and virus could drive them down more
U.S. births continued to fall last year, leading to the fewest number of newborns in 35 years.
The decline is the latest sign of a prolonged national “baby bust” that’s been going on for more than a decade. And some experts believe the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the economy will suppress the numbers further.
“This unpredictable environment, and anxiety about the future, is going to make women think twice about having children,” said Dr. Denise Jamieson, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University.