The Latest: NM college athletes plead to be allowed to play
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Athletes at five New Mexico universities are asking Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for more flexibility in pandemic rules that would let them hold full practices and play games — something colleges in other states are being allowed to do.
The student athletes are from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands and Western New Mexico University. They say positive tests among athletes are lower than in the general community and that shows they have been adhering to safe protocols and should be allowed to practice and compete.
State officials said Tuesday they understand athletes want to compete, but public health is the top priority.
Acting state Higher Education Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez said in a statement that “we must make tough decisions that will save the lives of New Mexicans, including students, faculty and staff members at our state’s colleges and universities.”
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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— US to allow limited supplies of new antibody drug
— Doctors, nurses may be better prepared for US virus surge
— Norway gives quarantine exemption to 2020 Nobel winners
— Intensive care space is dwindling across Europe as beds fill again with coronavirus patients
— A safe Thanksgiving is possible, though health experts know their advice about avoiding the risks are tough to swallow
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— Follow AP’s coronavirus pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
RENO, Nev. -- The mayor of Reno, Nev., is warning that she will fine people who don’t wear face masks and will shut down businesses if residents fail to redouble their personal efforts to fight the recent dramatic increase in coronavirus infections.
Mayor Hillary Schieve cited a variety of indicators Tuesday signaling a worsening of the threat of the pandemic locally and statewide.
She says a “perfect storm” is threatening to overwhelm hospitals in Reno and Sparks. Gov. Steve Sisolak scheduled a news conference Tuesday evening to address the situation. The combined number of confirmed and suspected coronavirus hospitalizations statewide has grown from about 600 on Oct. 30 to about 900 Monday.
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JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, his wife and their three daughters are in isolation after the youngest tested positive for the coronavirus.
The governor announced his daughter’s infection shortly after he canceled his coronavirus news conference that was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. He said in a social media post that “she feels OK, but could still use prayers!”
Maddie Reeves, 8, attends a private elementary school in Jackson. An executive order issued by Reeves requires children and teachers to wear masks in public and private schools.
Reeves says everyone in his family is being tested for the virus.
Like many other states, Mississippi has seen a sharp increase in virus cases in recent weeks, with 933 newly confirmed cases reported Tuesday. Sixteen of Mississippi’s 82 counties are under a mask mandate that is set to expire Wednesday.
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MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin has reached new daily highs for coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths, leading Gov. Tony Evers to call on the state’s residents to show unity and cooperation in dealing with the pandemic.
Evers warns in a speech he planned to deliver in a live broadcast Tuesday night that deaths could double to 5,000 by January without action.
He says: “Each day this virus goes unchecked is a setback for our economic recovery.”
The governor offered no hints as to what actions he wants to take. Lawmakers, business owners and others have fought his toughest rules aimed at reducing the virus’ spread.
Evers’ “safer at home” order was struck down by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in May. A state appeals court last month blocked Evers’ order limiting how many people can gather inside bars, restaurants and other places. And the state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on Evers’ statewide mask mandate, which remains in effect.
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Maryland will reduce indoor operations for bars and restaurants from 75% to 50% in response to rising coronavirus cases and increased hospitalizations.
Gov. Larry Hogan says the new limits will take effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
State health officials issued a public health advisory strongly discouraging indoor gatherings of 25 people or more after contact tracing data showed an increase in cases resulting from family gatherings and house parties.
The announcement came Tuesday after the state reported 54 more people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours. The total number of people hospitalized with the disease increased to 761, the highest since June.
Maryland also reported 1,338 new coronavirus cases Tuesday — the seventh straight day of at least 1,000 cases.
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. has surpassed 1 million new confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of November.
The tally of cases in just 10 days shows the reach of the virus amid a strong fall surge.
Several states posted new highs Tuesday, including 12,000 new cases in Illinois and more than 7,000 in Wisconsin, where the governor planned to take the unusual step of delivering a live address to the state urging unity and cooperation to fight the virus.
The death toll is also soaring and hospitals in several states are at the breaking point. Indiana reported 63 new deaths Tuesday
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TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas’ largest public school district has scrapped plans to allow its middle and high school students to attend some in-person classes amid a surge in coronavirus cases across the state.
Three counties also have imposed new restrictions inspired by the coronavirus pandemic.
Kansas is seeing its largest numbers of new confirmed coronavirus cases since the pandemic reached the state in early March. Public health officials say people aren’t wearing masks enough and are letting their guard down at gatherings, including family events such as birthday parties and baby showers.
In Wichita, the state’s largest city, the local school board decided Monday that middle and high school students will continue to take classes remotely until the end of the current semester. The district had planned to allow them to have in-person classes twice a week, starting this week.
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GILETTE, Wyo. — The son of a Wyoming state representative who opposed COVID-19 public restrictions says his father was positive for the coronavirus when he died.
The Gillette News Record reports Roy Edwards, 66, died Nov. 2 at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper after being hospitalized for more than a week with an undisclosed illness.
Mitch Edwards says his father was initially told he had a sinus inflammation and did not need to be tested for COVID-19.
Edwards continued to oppose public restrictions resulting from the pandemic during his recent campaign to retain his House seat. He was reelected the day after he died.
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SALEM, Ore. — Gov. Kate Brown and Oregon health officials warned Tuesday of the capacity challenges facing hospitals as COVID-19 case counts continue to spike in the state.
The Oregon Health Authority recorded a record 285 confirmed COVID-19 patients in hospitals Tuesday — a 57% increase in just the past week and an 83% increase in the past four weeks.
Currently, out of Oregon’s 703 listed intensive care unit beds, 27% are available and about 18% of non-ICU adult hospital beds in the state are available, based on data on from the health authority’s website.
The previous record for hospitalizations in the state, outside of November, was 179 in October.
Prior to the end of October, the record of COVID-19 related hospitalizations was 165 in July.
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TORONTO — The top health official for Canada’s largest city says the spread of COVID-19 has never been greater in Toronto so she’s using her powers to continue to prohibit indoor dining in Toronto.
Toronto had been due to lift some restrictions this coming weekend but Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa says there are 533 new cases in the city on Tuesday.
She says the test positive rate is now a high of 5.9%. She is urging people in Toronto to limit social gatherings to only the people with whom they live.
Toronto Mayor John Tory says unprecedented actions are necessary.
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Authorities at a county jail in Colorado have said 859 of the 1,246 inmates in custody last Sunday tested positive for COVID-19 along with 66 employees.
The El Paso County sheriff’s office says two of the employees were hospitalized over the weekend as coronavirus cases surged at the facility.
The Gazette reports that spokeswoman Deborah Mynatt did not disclose the status of the two employees who were hospitalized or if they were civilian employees or deputies, citing privacy concerns.
Officials first reported the outbreak on Oct. 26 when eight inmates tested positive for COVID-19.
Mynatt compared the outbreak to a wildfire and said officials are trying to control further spread.
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DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that she will require that people wear masks if they join indoor gatherings of 25 or more people as Iowa sees a surge of coronavirus infections that is threatening to overwhelm hospitals.
Reynolds said she signed a proclamation taking effect Wednesday that would require masks for the indoor gatherings and for outdoor gatherings of 100 or more people. The governor continued the requirement of 6 feet of distance between groups in bars and restaurants and limited groups to eight people unless they’re all members of the same household.
She said the new rules don’t apply to school districts — nearly all of which already have the option of shifting to online-only learning because of the high positivity rate throughout the state.
Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo said her department has approved for 24 school districts to move to some level of online instruction since Nov. 1 including the state’s largest district in Des Moines, and is reviewing three more applications.
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SANTA FE, N.M. — After three weeks of trying to make in-person learning work, Santa Fe Public Schools are calling it quits.
With the city posting its own record numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospital beds filling up, Superintendent Veronica García says it is time to pump the brakes.
Around 200 elementary school students had been allowed in-person learning thanks to 58 school teachers and other staff who volunteered to teach.
Starting Nov. 20, the district will return to remote-only classes. The news comes as more students in Santa Fe and around the state are failing at least one class.
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MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota bars and restaurants must stop serving at 10 p.m. and attendance at weddings, funeral and social gatherings will be limited under new restrictions Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday to try to slow the accelerating spread of the coronavirus.
The new rules, which take effect Friday, are aimed at young adults, ages 18 to 35, who are often carriers of the virus without showing symptoms and are among the primary spreaders in the state.
While young adults don’t usually get very sick with COVID-19, they can transmit the virus to people who do. The new limits will kick in shortly before college students return home for Thanksgiving, a popular time for reunions with friends.
The new restrictions come after record-setting highs in recent days in new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Health on Tuesday reported 4,906 new cases to raise the state’s total to 189,681, and 23 new deaths for a total of 2,698.
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — South Dakota health officials acknowledged Tuesday that they include intensive care unit beds designed for infants in their total count of hospital beds available in the state — a key metric that the governor has used to defend her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 hospitalizations reached 607 on Tuesday, marking a new high for the fifth day in a row. The Department of Health reported that about 37% of general-care hospital beds and 32% of ICU beds are available.
State epidemiologist Josh Clayton said the number of neonatal ICU beds is much smaller than the total number of ICU beds, but did not immediately provide the number of neonatal ICU beds included in the count. The Department of Health receives a total count of ICU beds from hospitals and the number of neonatal ICU beds is not separated in the count, according to Clayton.
He also pointed out that adults could receive medical care in pediatric units if necessary.