COVID-19 Update, August 5, 2020: Waiting for Stimulus

Negotiations continue for a stimulus bill; we hear that progress if being made, if slowly, with enhanced unemployment as the biggest bone of contention. Meanwhile, infections rise up in some places and decline in others, deaths continue to soar, and plenty of people, fed up with the status quo, are taking action. We may hear something definitive about the stimulus bill by Friday. If you haven't done so, write to Congress.

The latest:

The United States approaches an appalling 5,000,000 coronavirus infections: tinyurl.com/y3p2r5f3.

As Congressional negotiations remain deadlocked, the White House mulls executive orders on unemployment: bit.ly/33qvK9X.

That $600 enhanced unemployment benefit is a major sticking point between Democrats and Republicans: tinyurl.com/y6fcswd6.

Corporate CEOs push for the RESTART Act: tinyurl.com/yyw9ofgf.

Meanwhile:

At least 33 US states have coronavirus positivity rates of more than 5%: dailym.ai/2EXa5Mx.

The growth of private payrolls continues to lag far behind expectations: cnb.cx/31oUUD0.

Seven states band together to create a combined coronavirus testing strategy: wapo.st/2PnJSbI.

The Novavax vaccine shows promising results: rb.gy/q3hf61.

Food for thought:

How pandemic aid is held up by indecision on the GOP end: wapo.st/3fCLvgA.

Around the country:

In Arizona:

More than 500 inmates test positive for COVID-19 at a Tucson prison; that's half the population: bit.ly/31oxmye.

In California:

Some signs suggest that California's infection rate may be peaking: bit.ly/3gz1e1h. Then again, the data might be due to a technical glitch: bit.ly/3gwkMDj.

Disney's theme parks lose $2 billion: tinyurl.com/y35jvve9. In a sign of the times, Disney Plus surpasses 60.5 million subscribers: tinyurl.com/y4djpzcl.

In Connecticut:

Six top theatres band together to lobby local, state, and federal governments for pandemic aid: tinyurl.com/y569ea4x.

In Florida:

New cases drop below 8,000 for the third day in a row: hrld.us/33sDgB1. But the number of cases also crosses the 500,000 mark: rb.gy/oquuzx.

Orange County starts to flatten its curve: bit.ly/39ZMmGO.

The major cruise lines are postponing trips until mid-October: tinyurl.com/yyal3mxn.

In Georgia:

A second grader tests positive after one day in the classroom: cnn.it/3guzbQI.

In Illinois:

Chicago Public Schools will open the school year with online learning: tinyurl.com/yybkjvs2.

In Mississippi:

With the state in line to become number one for new infections per capita, the governor delays some school openings and issues a mask mandate: n.pr/3gvL9JV.

In New York:

The mayor of New York City announces quarantine checkpoints: bit.ly/3iaCNHN.

More than 150 music venues form NIVA to lobby for pandemic relief: tinyurl.com/y3ytevdl.

Even Fox Corporation has been hit by the pandemic: bit.ly/3ieNPMr.

In Virginia:

AVIXA, the association behind InfoComm, eliminations jobs, admits it doesn't know when trade shows will return: bit.ly/3iadPIB.

The state rolls out a smartphone app designed warn one of exposure to the coronavirus: bit.ly/3icjE8E.

In Washington State:

COVID-19 spreads among temporary farmworkers living in cramped conditions: bit.ly/2PogZMA.

Around the world:

In Australia:

In Melbourne, lockdown 2.0 is underway: nyti.ms/3fsRlkl.

The country suffers its deadliest day yet in the pandemic: reut.rs/30zUtXH.

In Brazil:

The president's chief of staff tests positive for the coronavirus: reut.rs/33ynXXB.

In Gambia:

New cases surge 60% in a single week: tinyurl.com/yxrybqye.

In Italy:

Amplifier manufacturer Powersoft pledges a portion of its profits to the Crew Nation relief fund: rb.gy/bfg64q.

In South Korea:

A production of The Phantom of the Opera continues to thrive: tinyurl.com/y6jhnay4.

Despite its stellar pandemic response, the country slips into recession: bit.ly/31oFwGS.

In Sweden:

The country's gross domestic product drops 8.6% in one quarter, confirming that it's laissez-faire pandemic policies are no panacea; still, the country has done better economically than much of Europe: cnb.cx/3fwtdgX.

In the UK:

The grassroots initiative #LightItInRed teams up with PLASA's #WeMakeEvents Red Alert Day: rb.gy/dqwc0a.

Entertainment:

Marsha Mason and Brian Cox will star in a reading of Dear Liar -- based on the correspondence of George Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell -- to benefit Bucks County Playhouse, on September 1 at 7:00pm ET: tinyurl.com/y6dpehbq.

Lyric Opera of Chicago will open the company's reimagined fall season with For the Love of Lyric, a virtual concert from the stage of the Lyric Opera House, on Sunday, September 13, available for free streaming starting at 6:00pm CDT: bit.ly/31l82Jv.

For your pleasure:

"It Never Entered My Mind," by Rodgers and Hart, performed by Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra: tinyurl.com/y5c4k99l.

That's all for today. Stay safe. -- DB.

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Previous LSA COVID-19 Updates: plasa.me/lsacovid19resources.