As West Virginia prepares to implement their safer-at-home order beginning May 4, Gov. Jim Justice said he is prepared to close the state back down if necessary.
“I hope and pray we don't have to go this far, but if need be, I'll close it back down. That's just all there is to it. Because if in fact this thing turns the wrong way, I'm going to react,” Justice said.
The safer-at-home order strongly encourages all West Virginians to remain at home but no longer orders them to do so.
He said additional guidelines for 11 hotspot counties will be released over the weekend.
As of today, West Virginia has finished testing in all 123 nursing home facilities in the state.
The New York Police Department will have more than 1,000 police officers on foot, bikes and in vehicles to enforce social distancing during the weekend.
The NYPD said the officers will also educate the public about proper social distancing procedures, “so we can all help stop the spread of the coronavirus and keep all New Yorkers safe and healthy.”
Temperatures could reach 72 degrees in New York City on Saturday and 78 degrees on Sunday.
There will be zero tolerance for people who do not practice social distancing or for those who do not wear masks at our parks and golf courses, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said during a news conference on Friday.
Parks, boating and waterways, and golf courses are open to the public for limited use by individuals and families as long as they follow current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Florida Department of Health, according to the Miami-Dade County's website.
Gimenez said it will not be "business as usual." He said gatherings of 10 or more people will be prohibited and face coverings will be required in most cases. Boats must remain 50 feet apart.
"There is light at the end of this Covid-19 tunnel, working differently and that's why this is a new normal working groups are focused on," Gimenez said.
He said restaurants and retail spaces could let customers inside, but only at 25% capacity, and people must adhere to social distancing guidelines from the CDC.
The city and county of Denver issued a public health order requiring people wear face coverings starting May 6, according to a statement released Friday.
They would be required to wear face coverings in certain public settings until further notice to reduce the spread of Covid-19, the statement said.
"Residents and employees will be required to wear face coverings while inside of, or waiting in line to enter, certain businesses, facilities or locations — such as any retail or commercial business, at a bus stop or facilities offering health care services," the statement said.
Thousands of demonstrators took part in a protest in Huntington Beach against California Gov. Gavin Newsom's order to close all beaches in Orange County, the city's Police Chief Robert Handy said.
He said the crowd was peaceful for the most part and no arrests were made.
Enforcement was light because officers did not have enough signage for a full beach closure when the governor's order went into effect today, the police chief said.
Once all the signage is in place, police will proceed with enforcement, Handy said. They will issue misdemeanor citations and make arrests if necessary, he added.
The Department of Homeland Security study on the effects of heat and sunlight on the coronavirus is undergoing the process for peer review and publication in scientific journals, according to the department.
There is no written report as yet, although the results are being submitted for peer review and publication in scientific journals, a DHS spokesperson told CNN.
DHS' Science and Technology Directorate has been studying the impacts of environmental conditions on the coronavirus, particularly the impacts of temperature, humidity, and sunlight on the virus.
The study came under increased scrutiny after President Trump suggested last week during a press briefing that the virus could be treated with sunlight, as well as whether disinfectants could be used to treat the virus in humans.
When asked why the department released the results before the final study, a spokesperson said, "We felt it important to share information on the emerging trends that are being identified in our tests," saying that the results are still undergoing a "rigorous scientific review."
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said today that he had planned to announce the reopening of certain businesses but decided against it after the state reported its largest increase new cases.
He said the number of cases increased after the state received new information on previous deaths and tests.
"This thing is not over, we are not out of the woods yet," he said. "We have to stay flexible."
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee said he will extend his stay-at-home order until May 31.
Inslee said the new executive order "will continue a ban on public gatherings."
"Many businesses will have to remain closed and that is why I'm extending the order through May 31," he said at his news conference.