narvikk/iStockBy WILLIAM MANSELL and EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 489,000 people worldwide.
Over 9.6 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding the scope of their nations’ outbreaks.
The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 2.4 million diagnosed cases and at least 124,415 deaths.
Here’s how the news is developing Friday. All times Eastern:
10:30 a.m.: NYC plans for indoor dining in phase 3 of reopening
New York City is on track to begin phase 3 of reopening on Monday, July 6 — which will include nail salons, massage parlors and access to city basketball and tennis courts.
Indoor dining can resume in phase 3 at 50% capacity, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday.
The city is working to expand restaurant outdoor seating to city streets.
To help keep employees and customers safe, 2.5 million face coverings will be distributed during phase 3, city officials said.
The city is also working with businesses owners regarding “sneeze guards,” PPE and other equipment.
10:15 a.m.: Texas limits restaurants, closes bars as cases rise
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order limiting certain businesses as the state’s positivity rate soared above 10%.
All bars that receive more than 51% of their gross receipts from alcohol sales must close at noon on Friday. They can stay open for delivery and takeout, including alcohol, Abbott said.
Restaurants must limit indoor dine-in service to 50% capacity beginning on Monday, he said.
Rafting and tubing businesses must shut down, he said.
Outdoor gatherings with more than 100 people must get approval from local governments, he added.
“As I said from the start, if the positivity rate rose above 10%, the State of Texas would take further action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Abbott said in a statement.
“It is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars,” he said. “The actions in this executive order are essential to our mission to swiftly contain this virus and protect public health. We want this to be as limited in duration as possible.”
9:30 a.m.: New Mexico’s phase 2 reopening on hold
New Mexico’s phase 2 of reopening will be on hold as the state evaluates the “alarming sustained rise in cases nationally.”
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Thursday that New Mexico needs another week before deciding on more reopenings and if the mass gathering limit can be raised.
“The last thing anyone wants to do is revert back to more closures in an emergency to protect public health,” the governor said in a statement. “New Mexico’s priority remains testing widely and isolating positive cases … rising cases levels will threaten reopenings, including for public schools in the fall. It is more important than ever to wear a mask and avoid groups.”
New Mexico has over 11,000 diagnosed cases and at least 485 fatalities.
Grisham said anyone traveling to New Mexico by car should self-isolate for two weeks when they arrive.
9 a.m.: American Airlines will sell all seats on flights starting July 1, joining United
As travel ramps up, American Airlines says it will book flights to capacity beginning July 1.
“American will continue to notify customers and allow them to move to more open flights when available, all without incurring any cost,” the airline said in a statement. “This is in addition to the airline’s current travel waivers.”
United is already booking flights to capacity.
“We do not block middle and/or adjacent seats,” the airline said. “If we expect a flight to be more full we reach out to our customers in advance to let them know and provide rebooking options. So far very few customers have rebooked.”
5:30 a.m.: Alabama coronavirus cases soar
The number of COVID-19 cases in the state of Alabama continues to soar, which means the number of available ICU beds is dwindling.
In a Federal Emergency Management Agency memo obtained by ABC News, hospitals in Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham are now transferring patients from facility to facility because they are running out of ICU beds.
In fact, 82% of Alabama’s ICU beds are now full, according to Dr. Don Williamson with the Alabama Hospital Association. He tells ABC News affiliate WBMA-TV that there are only 289 beds available in the state.
Jeanne Marrazzo, director, Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama Birmingham, told the station that she worries what July will look like for the state.
“If we are seeing this very big peak in cases right now, the hospitalization and death rates as we know, typically lag two to two and a half to three cases behind those case reports,” Marrazzo said.
Alabama has more than 33,000 diagnosed cased of COVID-19 with at least 896 deaths. Just this week, it set a daily record with 1,100 new coronavirus cases.
The concerning rise in cases it’s exclusive to Alabama. It’s just one of 15 states that have set a daily COVID-19 case record in the past week. The other states are Texas, Montana, Nevada, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina, California, Arizona, Idaho, Georgia, Utah and Tennessee.
There are now also 23 states with rising COVID-19 hospitalization rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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