Drive-thru testing, insufficient gear, school closures: News from around our 50 states – USA TODAY

Alabama

Montgomery: Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency Friday and closed public schools for two-and-a-half weeks as the state reported its first cases of coronavirus. Ivey said all K-12 public schools will close after Wednesday for the break. Some schools were on spring break during part of this time. “Folks, let’s take a common-sense approach and remember calm and steady win the race,” Ivey said in a news conference. “Alabamians should not be fearful but instead use common sense to watch out for ourselves and others.” The Alabama Department of Public Health listed on its website Saturday night that there were a total of 12 known coronavirus cases in the state. The cases were reported in Montgomery, Jefferson, Limestone, Tuscaloosa, Baldwin and Elmore counties. Another case was listed as out of town.

Alaska

Juneau: The governor on Friday suspended classes and other activities at public schools, as well as banned visits to a number of correctional facilities, as part of his effort to contain the new coronavirus outbreak. Gov. Mike Dunleavy, working with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, ordered the suspension of classes and after-school activities from Monday through March 30. He also suspended visits to Department of Corrections facilities, Division of Juvenile Justice facilities, the Alaska Military Youth Academy and the Alaska Psychiatric Institute. And he limited visitation to Alaska Pioneer Homes, which house the elderly. Also on Friday night, organizers of the Iditarod sled dog race said they are moving the 19th checkpoint in the 1,000-mile race out of the community of Shaktoolik to help prevent the transmission of the virus. Meanwhile, lawmakers announced plans to restrict access to the Capitol in Juneau.

Arizona

Phoenix: A top election official in the state’s most populous county took the unprecedented step Friday of ordering ballots for this week’s Democratic presidential primary mailed to all voters who normally cast ballots at the polls to ensure they can vote with minimal exposure to the new coronavirus. But the move by Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes may not stand and drew some criticism from fellow Democrats, Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Garrado and Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. Republican Mark Brnovich said he was headed to court to ask a judge to block it. Meanwhile, the county board of supervisors said it was closing 78 polling places after churches, nursing homes and others said they no longer felt comfortable welcoming voters to cast ballots, and some poll workers backed out. The county will now have 151 “vote centers” where anyone in the county can vote. The last-minute shuffling injected uncertainty just days before Tuesday’s primary.

Arkansas

Little Rock: Three health care workers are the latest to test positive for the coronavirus in Arkansas, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and state Secretary of Health Dr. Nathaniel Smith said Saturday. The three are connected to the state’s first confirmed case, Smith said. “All three of those were health care workers who came into contact with our first patient in Pine Bluff” and are now quarantined, Smith said. Also Saturday, the Pulaski County jail in Little Rock said visitation has been suspended until further notice, despite no cases at the jail, to help contain the spread of the virus, which causes only mild or moderate symptoms in most people. The number of coronavirus cases in Arkansas is now 12, Hutchinson said, up from nine announced Friday.

California

Los Angeles: Californians wanting to escape the new reality of the coronavirus at the movies, casino or amusement park are running into the 6-foot rule. State health officials issued new guidance Saturday urging theaters to keep attendance under 250 people and ask strangers to sit 6 feet apart. The Department of Public Health said ushers should monitor theaters to ensure people are keeping appropriate social distance, while ensuring family members can sit and stand in line together. A similar guideline issued to gambling venues, urging them to limit 250 people per room and clean chips and slot machines more frequently, led the operator of the state’s largest card rooms to shut starting Saturday. Theme parks and attractions were told to thin out crowds by staggering attendance. California has about 250 confirmed cases and recorded its sixth death Friday.

Colorado

Denver: State lawmakers paused their legislative session Saturday over fears of the coronavirus outbreak and the disease it causes, COVID-19. The Legislature passed a resolution to take a two-week recess. It comes 67 days into the 120-day legislative session, with the budget and several major bills pending or yet to be introduced. House Speaker KC Becker, a Boulder Democrat, acknowledged the recess could last longer than two weeks. Lawmakers must pass a budget by June 30. Lawmakers are also asking the state Supreme Court for clarity on whether the session must be conducted over 120 consecutive days, or if they can continue the session where they left off. Dozens of people have tested positive for the coronovirus in Colorado, and one person has died, an elderly woman with underlying health conditions in El Paso County, south of Denver.

Connecticut

Hartford: The first case of the coronavirus in the Hartford area has been identified, officials said Saturday, as the number of cases across the state rose to at least 20. The patient, a woman in her 80s, lives in Rocky Hill and was being treated at Hartford Hospital, city and hospital officials said. Most of cases of COVID-19 in the state have been in communities near the New York state line. Fairfield County had at least 15 known cases as of Saturday evening. The Hartford Courant reported the nursing chief of Yale-New Haven Health and two hospital patients tested positive, citing a memo distributed within the health network Saturday. Efforts to test for the virus around the state are expanding. Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said he assumes there are other cases of the virus in the Hartford area.

Delaware

Dover: A state of emergency took effect in the state Friday because of the new coronavirus as Gov. John Carney also ordered all public schools closed through March 27. The state of emergency prohibits price gouging and encourages the cancellation of “nonessential” public gatherings of 100 people or more, giving state officials authority to cancel them for public health reasons. Businesses and state offices remain open. The emergency declaration also bans out-of-state travel for state employees and allows state agencies to conduct public meetings electronically. Lawmakers had already postponed next week’s legislative session. Meanwhile, state public health officials are providing less information, not more, about the coronavirus situation in Delaware on a Division of Public Health website and failed to list three new cases as being under investigation before announcing Thursday that test results had come back positive.

District of Columbia

Washington: The city is under a state of emergency with 16 cases of coronavirus confirmed, WUSA-TV reports, prompting D.C. schools to be closed until April 1 and the government to operate on a modified schedule to mitigate the spread of the virus. An additional six cases announced Saturday include patients ranging from 28 to 67 years old. As of Saturday, 115 people had tested positive for the coronavirus in D.C. Beginning Monday and running through March 31, the district’s government will operate on a modified schedule to prevent the spread of the coronavirus for the safety of the community. Some government operations will be performed fully remotely, and other services will remain at public buildings under modified operations, Mayor Muriel Bowser said.

Florida

Tallahassee: Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday banned most visits to nursing homes statewide as he acknowledged the coronavirus has likely spread into the general population. Meanwhile, officials closed world-famous South Beach to prevent college spring breakers from congregating. Hours after DeSantis held a news conference at the state’s emergency management headquarters, health officials confirmed the death of a 77-year-old Lee County man who previously tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said the latest fatality, the third in Florida so far, had not contracted the infection through travel. DeSantis said three infected Broward County residents also initially appeared to have contracted it through community spread. The state’s known infections – which include Miami’s mayor – now exceed 60 after the numbers jumped by a third Saturday.

Georgia

Atlanta: The state’s March 24 presidential primaries will be postponed to May, election officials announced Saturday as cases of coronavirus in the state jumped and as Gov. Brian Kemp activated the National Guard and signed an emergency declaration unlocking sweeping powers to fight the disease threat. In-person early voting, which began statewide March 2, will be halted and the election moved to May 19, when Georgia’s other 2020 primary elections are being held, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement. Election officials said in addition to the safety of the public, one of the biggest considerations was the risk the virus posed to poll workers, who are often older. Kemp said the number of cases caused by the new coronavirus rose Saturday to 66 from 42 on Friday, and he said it was the largest numerical increase in a 24-hour-period since Georgia detected its first case.

Hawaii

Lahaina: An adult couple who had previous close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 on the mainland have themselves tested positive for the new coronavirus disease while spending nearly two weeks vacationing in Hawaii, Gov. David Ige said Saturday. The two have shown signs of improvement and are being isolated at a Kauai County-provided unit, Ige said during a news conference. The couple were seen at several urgent care facilities and a hospital. “We are aware that three health care workers who treated them were not wearing appropriate personal protective devices, so we have contacted them,” Ige said. Those workers are now self-isolating. The couple flew on a direct United Airlines flight from the mainland to Maui and spent March 2-8 at hotel in Lahaina, Ige said.

Idaho

Boise: Health officials announced the state’s first confirmed coronavirus case Friday and said its second and third cases were identified Saturday. Boise State University will move instruction for more than 30,000 students online to combat the virus’ spread, and the rest of Idaho’s public higher education institutions will follow suit by April 1. The first positive case of coronavirus was a woman in her 50s in southwestern Idaho in highly populated Ada County, which includes Boise. The second case was a Blaine County woman in her 50s, according to the South Central Public Health District. The Idaho Statesman reports the third case an Ada County man in his 50s who had no underlying medical issues, the Central District Health department said Saturday night. The news came several hours after Little declared a state of emergency for at least 30 days.

Illinois

Chicago: The state’s number of coronavirus cases rose to 66 from 48 as residents with the illness emerged in central and southern regions of the state, officials said Saturday. The mayor of Chicago, meanwhile, urged political candidates to avoid face-to-face campaigning, while polling places in some communities were changed from senior housing centers ahead of the primary election Tuesday. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the state health department, said the number of Illinois cases should “increase dramatically” as results come in from private labs. “It is vitally important that we implement social distancing measures, such as staying home and canceling large events,” Ezike said. Gov. J.B. Pritzker appeared annoyed with St. Patrick’s Day party crowds in Chicago, calling out the “young and healthy” for not following recommendations. And he said the long lines of travelers standing shoulder-to-shoulder at O’Hare International Airport amid enhanced screening were “unacceptable” and called on the federal government to “solve this.”

Indiana

Indianapolis: Three new cases of coronavirus emerged in Indiana, raising the number in the state to 19, officials say. Among the new COVID-19 cases are residents of Hamilton, Marion, LaPorte and Wells counties, the state Department of Health said. The other cases are people in Adams, Boone, Hendricks, Howard, Johnson, Noble and St. Joseph counties. All are adults with one exception. There have been no deaths. Gov. Eric Holcomb has declined to order all schools to close to reduce spread of the virus, unlike governors in other states. He said it should be a local decision. Casinos and racetracks will be closed for at least two weeks, starting Monday, state regulators said. Indianapolis Power & Light, which has more than 500,000 customers, said it’s suspending electricity shutoffs until April 15 for people with unpaid bills. The utility said it “recognizes the impact and stress COVID-19 is causing in people’s daily lives.”

Iowa

Johnston: A Dallas County resident who hadn’t traveled out of state has tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the first “community spread” of the virus in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Saturday night. Speaking at a news conference in the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston, Reynolds said the 18th person who has tested positive for the COVID-19 was between 61 and 80 years old. While others who tested positive had been infected after being in regions where the disease was more widespread, the latest case indicates the virus was becoming more common in Iowa. Reynolds said people should avoid gatherings of more than 250 people. Despite actions by other governors to cancel school, Reynolds said she wouldn’t support such a move unless more people tested positive. Many colleges have opted to shift to online classes, and Des Moines Public Schools has extended spring break because of the disease.

Kansas

Ottawa: Health officials on Saturday confirmed the state’s eighth novel coronavirus case in a person from Franklin County in eastern Kansas. The news follows on the heels of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment announcing Saturday morning the state’s seventh case – a woman in her 50s associated with Johnson County Community College. That case is the county’s first believed to have been contracted locally, the release said. In all four other COVID-19 cases reported in Johnson County, the patients became infected while traveling out of state. Health officials in Sedgwick County, which includes Wichita, banned all public gatherings larger than 250 attendees until further notice, even though the county has no confirmed cases. The ban also applies to large church gatherings, said Dr. Gerald Minns, the county’s health officer. Gov. Laura Kelly has declared a state of emergency, and large gatherings at the Statehouse have been banned.

Kentucky

Frankfort: Gov. Andy Beshear preached social distancing during a daily update Saturday and said one newly diagnosed coronavirus patient had resisted a quarantine. Beshear said Kentucky now has 18 cases, and officials are awaiting more than two dozen test results. The newest positives for the novel coronavirus were in Fayette, Montgomery and Nelson counties. The patient in Nelson refused to self-quarantine, Beshear said. The man was being kept at home Saturday with a law enforcement officer nearby. “It’s a step I hoped I never had to take, but we can’t allow one person we know who has this virus to refuse to protect their neighbors,” Beshear said. Beshear also said child care centers in the state should consider temporarily closing within 72 hours. The state’s court system took steps Friday to halt most proceedings in response to the virus, and all public schools are closed for at least two weeks.

Louisiana

New Orleans: Mayor LaToya Cantrell said she was “deeply disappointed” that people ignored a ban on large gatherings issued by Gov. John Bel Edwards to try to stop the spread of coronavirus. St. Patrick’s Day revelers in kilts and green shamrocks packed a city street Saturday, though the city’s official parade had been canceled, The Times-Picayune-New Orleans Advocate reports. New Orleans police later broke up a party at a bar. The gatherings occurred as Louisiana announced its first death from coronavirus – a 58-year-old Orleans Parish resident with underlying health problems. The state reported its second death Sunday, a 53-year-old Orleans Parish resident who had underlying medical conditions and was being treated at Touro Infirmary, according to the governor’s office. Cantrell said in a statement that the person was a friend of hers. Edwards also has postponed the state’s presidential primaries due to fears about the virus.

Maine

Portland: The third person to test presumptively positive for the new coronavirus in the state is a woman in her 40s from Cumberland County who was in close household contact with another person who received a positive test, health officials said Saturday. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said its “immediate concern is for the care and treatment of the individuals who have presumptively tested positive,” the agency said in a statement. The number of people testing positive in Maine for the coronavirus grew from one to two Friday, the agency said, noting that a man in his 50s was screened at a MaineHealth outpatient clinic in Portland and is in self-isolation at home in Cumberland County. The first positive case the day before involved a woman in her 50s in Androscoggin County.

Maryland

Annapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan has signed an executive order to expand child care access for critical personnel during a state of emergency in response to coronavirus while schools are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Hogan says he signed the order Saturday to ensure that child care services are available for providers of health care, emergency medical services and law enforcement. Hogan says it’s part of the state’s commitment to maintaining essential services during a state of emergency, especially for those on the front lines helping to fight the public health threat.

Massachusetts

Boston: The Boston Marathon on Friday was postponed for five months due to the coronavirus pandemic, sacrificing the customary Patriots Day start in the hopes of preserving the uninterrupted 124-year tradition of the world’s most prestigious long-distance run. In delaying the marathon from April 20 to Sept. 14, the city avoids for now an event that draws more than 30,000 runners from around the world, packs them in buses and starting corrals, and then sends them off on a 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston’s Back Bay. An estimated 1 million people line the course as it winds through eight cities and towns, high-fiving, hugging and even kissing the runners along the way. The Boston Marathon has never been canceled since the first edition in 1897; the 2013 race was stopped when two bombs exploded at the finish line, several hours after the winners had finished but while many runners were still on the course.

Michigan

Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Sunday in an effort to curb price-gouging of emergency supplies and food during the coronavirus outbreak. The temporary restrictions, which takes effect Monday, said a person or business can’t resell a good or product at a price that is “grossly in excess of the purchase price of the product.” Also, a business or individuals can’t sell a product in the state at a price that is more than 20% higher than what they were charged unless the price increase is “due to bringing the product to market.” The restrictions are in place through April 13. The total number of confirmed Michigan coronavirus cases is 33, according to officials. Patients include Detroit Pistons player Christian Wood and a person linked to Michigan State University, which has postponed May graduation events.

Minnesota

St. Paul: The number of cases of the new coronavirus in the state has risen to 21 and now includes a rural county, health officials said Saturday. The Minnesota Department of Health reported the number of cases had risen by seven since Friday. Among the new cases is a person in their 30s in Renville County, in southwestern Minnesota. Wright and Washington counties also reported new cases. All but one of Minnesota’s patients are recovering at home, Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann said. A patient in Anoka County was in critical condition earlier in the week. On Friday, Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime state of emergency to limit the spread of COVID-19 and issued a series of recommendations for Minnesotans to take to limit the spread of the disease, such as canceling or postponing gatherings of 250 people or more.

Mississippi

Jackson: The governor declared a state of emergency to help fight coronavirus in the state and said he will work from home for two weeks after returning Friday from a family trip to Spain. “I urge all Mississippians to use caution,” Tate Reeves said in a video released Saturday. “This is not a time to panic. We are acting calmly and steadily.” Of 90 people tested throughout the state, 10 came up positive. At least three women older than 65 were in hospitals, the state Health Department said. Reeves has asked schools to close for at least a week and urged state employees to work from home if possible. He said the state would close driver’s license offices to avert possible spread there, and he called on churches not to hold in-person services Sunday.

Missouri

Jefferson City: Health officials say a fifth person has tested positive for coronavirus in the state. The Department of Health and Senior Services said Saturday that the latest case is an individual in Greene County who tested positive for COVID-19 after traveling. Officials said earlier Saturday that the state’s fourth case was a person from western Missouri’s Henry County. The patient was hospitalized at Golden Valley Memorial Hospital in Clinton before to being transferred March 8 to another facility, where the patient remains for treatment. Golden Valley Memorial Hospital has now been placed on diversion for emergency services and been told not to admit new patients, the department said. The state said two positive cases have been reported in St. Louis County and one additional case in Greene County. Residents braved rainy weather Saturday to line up at a drive-thru testing site in suburban St. Louis for the virus.

Montana

Helena: The lieutenant governor has put himself in quarantine after he attended a meeting in which one of the participants later tested positive for the new coronavirus. Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney was at a Board of Regents meeting March 5 in Dillon when he came in contact with the person from Silver Bow County who had the virus, said Marissa Perry, a spokeswoman for Gov. Steve Bullock. In a statement, she said Cooney “has been asymptomatic.” The Helena Independent Record reported that Montana Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian was at the meeting with Cooney and has the virus. Earlier Saturday, Bullock said there were two more cases of the virus in the state: a woman in her 30s and a man in his 50s in Missoula County. On Friday, Bullock announced Montana had its first four cases. Prior to that, the state was one of only a handful in the nation with no cases.

Nebraska

Omaha: Health officials have identified the state’s first coronavirus case transmitted through community spread, along with two new travel-related cases. The Douglas County Health Department said Saturday that a woman in her 60s who was previously diagnosed with COVID-19 started having symptoms before she traveled. Community spread of the virus indicates it is becoming more common in Nebraska because the origin of the case can’t be identified. Two additional travel-related cases were confirmed Saturday in Douglas County, a 56-year-old man who traveled to and from Spain and a 31-year-old man who came to th area from Singapore. Nebraska now has 16 cases of COVID-19, including 14 in Douglas County. Gov. Pete Ricketts said gatherings of more than 250 people should be avoided now that the virus is spreading in the community. He said he would wait for a second community spread case in Omaha before ordering schools there to close for six to eight weeks.

Nevada

Las Vegas: Casino companies in the state announced more measures Friday to combat the spread of the new coronavirus, with the biggest resort owner on the Las Vegas Strip immediately closing all nightclubs, day clubs, spas, salons and gyms at its properties. MGM Resorts International announced the moves as President Donald Trump declared a national emergency and less than 24 hours after Gov. Steve Sisolak declared a state of emergency in Nevada while hinting he may consider banning mass gatherings, as other governors have done. Officials at University of Nevada campuses in Reno and Las Vegas responded by canceling on-campus instruction. They’ll go to online-only classes when students return from spring break March 23. In all, authorities report more than 20 positive tests statewide. No deaths have been reported.

New Hampshire

Concord: The Legislature has suspended all legislative activities until at least Friday to help curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. State officials said late Saturday the State House will be closed to legislative members, staff and visitors. However, it will remain open for governmental operations until further notice, officials said. New Hampshire Senate President Donna Soucy and Speaker of the House Steve Shurtleff, both Democrats, said in a joint statement that the move is about “protecting the health and wellbeing of our members, staff and the public.” The state’s total number of presumptive positive test results of the new coronavirus rose to seven because of a case involving a woman who was at a Division of Motor Vehicles office in Manchester, public health authorities in the state said late Friday. Officials said the state is working to identify people who had close contact with the woman before she went into self-isolation.

New Jersey

Trenton: Officials are considering a statewide curfew to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday morning. Hoboken already implemented one – from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. – starting Monday. Murphy was asked about curfews and self-quarantine after Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin called for a citywide self-quarantine for the Bergen County town hit hard by COVID-19. “We’re not there at a statewide level on either of those steps, but we could be,” Murphy said on WBLS-FM 107.5. “The curfew is probably, of the two, is probably the more immediate one under consideration.” Murphy on Saturday night announced the second death in the state from coronavirus, a woman in her 50s who was being cared for at CentraState Medical Center in Monmouth County. The total number of cases was 98 as of Sunday.

New Mexico

Albuquerque: Drive-up COVID-19 testing is now available at a clinic outside the downtown Lovelace Medical Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, with nasal swabs taken while patients remain in cars and results available within 48 to 72 hours, the Albuquerque Journal reports. In other virus-related developments, state officials announced Saturday that New Mexico had three additional virus cases, and the state Department of Health ordered nursing homes to limit visitation to prevent spread of the disease. The state is closing K-12 schools for three weeks starting Monday in its effort to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus but will leave most cafeterias and school health care offices open in a state with the second-highest rate of childhood poverty in the nation. Officials also have banned mass gatherings that involve 100 or more people in spaces such as stadiums or auditoriums as a way to limit the spread of the virus.

New York

New York: As schools across the U.S. shut down in hopes of helping to fight the coronavirus, New York City officials are arguing just the opposite: They’re keeping the nation’s largest school system open to ensure health and emergency workers aren’t tied down with kids at home. But teachers, many parents and some health experts say the city is making a grave mistake by continuing to call more than 1.1 million children to public schools even as it calls for “social distancing” elsewhere to stem the virus’s spread. The state has reported its third death in the pandemic, a 79-year-old woman who officials say died Sunday at an undisclosed hospital in the city. The total number of people in New York diagnosed with the virus has risen to 729, the most in any U.S. state. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he believes thousands of New Yorkers, possibly tens of thousands, already have the disease.

North Carolina

Raleigh: Gov. Roy Cooper on Saturday ordered all public schools in the state to close for at least two weeks. “We know that it will be difficult on many parents and students,” Cooper said at a news conference. “Our lives have been turned upside down by this pandemic. But we’re going to get through this.” The closing of all K-12 public schools will begin Monday and continue for at least two weeks. Cooper said he is also issuing an executive order banning all gatherings of more than 100 people. He had already strongly discouraged large gatherings but said several venues continued their events. The governor’s order makes it mandatory. And courts are delaying criminal and civil proceedings to limit courthouse visits amid other statewide recommendations so as to blunt the intensity of coronavirus, the state’s top judicial official announced Friday.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Gov. Doug Burgum said Friday that he has declared a state of emergency to combat the new coronavirus pandemic, but he said schools will remain open. Burgum told reporters the declaration gives him the ability to activate the National Guard if necessary. But he said unlike other states, North Dakota will keep K-12 schools open. “We are making decisions based on facts, not on fear,” Burgum said. North Dakota has confirmed only one case of the disease. Ten more tests were completed Friday, but all were negative, Burgum said. Health officials said the Ward County man in his 60s traveled to the East Coast and had contact with a person who also tested positive for the disease. He has isolated himself at home, and his symptoms appear to be mild. In response to the pandemic, Sanford Health has a new visitor policy at its facilities restricting all visitation to immediate family members and allowing only one visitor at a time.

Ohio

Columbus: Gov. Mike DeWine says it’s possible the state’s schools may be closed for the rest of the academic year. The governor, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Nation” on Sunday morning, cited projections that the virus may not peak until the latter part of April or May and said that “it would not surprise me at all if schools did not open again this year.” DeWine on Thursday ordered every school in Ohio to close for three weeks beginning at day’s end Monday. The state health director also issued an order banning gatherings of over 100 people, although some places such as airports and restaurants are exempted, along with events such as weddings, funerals and religious gatherings. On Saturday, officials said 12 men and 14 women ranging in age from 31 to 86 have tested positive for the coronavirus – twice the number announced Friday. Seven people were hospitalized, and 264 people were being tested for COVID-19. There have been no reported deaths.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The governor faced backlash on social media after tweeting a picture of himself and two of his children at a crowded restaurant Saturday at a time when health officials have been recommending social distancing. In the since-deleted tweet, Gov. Kevin Stitt wrote: “Eating with my kids and all my fellow Oklahomans at the @CollectiveOKC. It’s packed tonight!” Stitt was at a food hall in Oklahoma City. Stitt’s position on the coronavirus outbreak has not changed from instructions he previously gave to Oklahoma residents, Charlie Hannema, a spokesman for the governor, said Sunday. Those include to follow health precautions and to protect elderly and vulnerable populations but also to remain calm, live one’s life and support local businesses. “The governor will continue to take his family out to dinner and to the grocery store without living in fear and encourages Oklahomans to do the same,” Hannema said in an email. By contrast, the mayor of Tulsa on Saturday temporarily banned events that would bring 250 or more people to city-owned facilities by revoking their special event permits.

Oregon

Portland: As schools close this week, child care regulators are considering whether to let some day care providers take in more children than currently allowed. Oregon now has one death and 35 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The department said three of the new cases confirmed over the weekend are in Washington County, two in Deschutes County and one in Linn County. Oregon schools will close Monday and remain closed until April 1. Students already have spring break for one of those weeks. Oregon has also banned all gatherings of more than 250 people statewide for four weeks. The Office of Child Care told providers it will process emergency requests to operate outside of licensing limits, in an attempt to address both an increased demand for care and potential staffing shortages, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: State health officials have announced more presumptive positive cases of the coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 63 cases, and the governor urged nonessential businesses in two more Philadelphia-area counties to shut down amid the outbreak. Gov. Tom Wolf extended to Chester and Bucks counties a call for certain businesses to close, echoing a voluntary call made to Montgomery and Delaware counties. He said essential infrastructure such as pharmacies, grocery stores and gas stores will remain open, and officials said travel is not being restricted. State officials said nonessential businesses include community and recreation centers; gyms, including yoga, barre and spin facilities; hair salons, nail salons and spas; casinos; concert venues; theaters; bars; sporting event venues and golf courses; and retail facilities except for pharmacy or other health care facilities within retail operations. Restaurants are urged only to remain open for carry-out and delivery orders.

Rhode Island

Providence: The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state has risen from 14 to 20, officials announced Saturday. The new cases are not a surprise, and Rhode Islanders should expect more as the virus spreads, Gov. Gina Raimondo said. Raimondo, a Democrat, encouraged local religious groups to cancel weekend services and called on high school and college students not to use their unexpected break from classes as an opportunity to gather with friends. Officials said Friday that about 200 people have been tested for the coronavirus in the state to date. Because of the virus, the state’s health insurance exchange, HealthSourceRI, will open a special enrollment period to allow Rhode Islanders to enroll for coverage. The enrollment window opens Monday and runs through April 15. Raimondo also announced a series of other changes to insurance regulations intended to ensure people can get care if they become infected. They include a mandate allowing patients to be tested and screened for the virus at no cost to them.

South Carolina

Columbia: Gov. Henry McMaster is announcing temporary closures for schools across the state beginning Monday through the end of the month as more cases of coronavirus continue to emerge, his office says. Schools will be closed for two weeks and food centers set up for students reliant on food provided in schools. On Friday, the governor declared a state of emergency in Kershaw and Lancaster counties, where coronavirus has been the most severe. An executive order also suspended visitation at state and local correctional institutions and directed state health officials to restrict visitation at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The governor also granted state agencies the ability to allow older or at-risk employees to work from home and asked utility companies not to suspend or disconnect services for nonpayment. On Saturday, state health officials said they were investigating six additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 19.

South Dakota

Pierre: Gov. Kristi Noem ordered a state of emergency Friday and instructed public schools to close in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Officials said another person had tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the state’s total to nine. Noem said the drop-off in positive test results and the absence of signs of community spread were “encouraging” but took the step of ordering the state of emergency as a “proactive” measure. The move marks an intensification of Noem’s response to the virus outbreak. She ordered all public schools to close for a week to clean facilities and prepare for the potential of reopening the following week. She also said the state’s high school athletics association would postpone the state basketball tournament scheduled for this week and next. All nonessential state employees will be working from home as part of the measure, the governor said. Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon said the state is expecting a new shipment of tests for the coronavirus in the next few days.

Tennessee

Nashville: Gov. Bill Lee on Friday halted all nonessential business travel for state employees, banned visitors and tours from the state Capitol, and heavily discouraged groups of 250 or more from gathering as the coronavirus pandemic ramps up, with 39 confirmed cases Sunday. Lee’s administration has also advised school districts to “exercise discretion” when canceling school for K-12 students but held off from mandating any closures, as some other states have already done. The governor’s office added that school-provided meals will still continue regardless of closures. Along with the Capitol, top lawmakers have also agreed to close the state’s legislative office building to the public beginning Monday, and the state Supreme Court suspended all in-person judicial proceedings until the end of the month. The Supreme Court order applies to state and local courts, including appellate, trial, general session, juvenile and municipal courts.

Texas

Austin: The city is the latest Texas community to prohibit large gatherings as a way to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus, issuing an order Saturday barring public and private events and other community gatherings of more than 250 people. The order also covers Travis County, where Austin is located. Events that could be part of the ban include weddings, religious gatherings and funerals. The ban will continue until at least May 1. In South Texas, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. on Saturday ordered all county-sponsored events with more than 250 people to be canceled or suspended for at least 14 days. Last week Dallas banned public gatherings of more than 500 people for at least seven days. The governor declared a state of disaster Friday as the pandemic spread to every major city and swept new worries through the 50,000-student campus at the University of Texas, which abruptly canceled classes after the wife of the school president tested positive.

Utah

Salt Lake City: Nine more residents of Salt Lake County have contracted the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the state’s most populated county to 14, health officials said Saturday. All of the new cases are linked to travel or contact with a person who has the virus, the Salt Lake County Health Department said in a statement. The department said it “doesn’t believe any of the cases are a result of local transmission in Salt Lake County.” Eleven of the 14 cases are adults over the age of 18, and three are children, the department said. Two of the infected children attended school while they had the virus. Potentially affected are Hunter High School in West Valley City and Entheos Academy, a charter school with campuses in Magna and Kearns, the department said. The department said it instructed students and staff of both schools to quarantine at home until March 27 and monitor themselves for symptoms.

Vermont

Stowe: Public health officials said Sunday the state is the site of another three cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the state to eight. Four of the state’s cases have involved Vermonters, and the others have been visitors, the Department of Health said Sunday. The new cases all involve visitors. State health officials are in touch with authorities in Massachusetts and New York while a health department team works to investigate the patients’ travel histories, authorities said. The state had announced three new cases Saturday, which brought the number of cases in Vermont to five at the time. Meanwhile, ski resorts have announced closures designed to help prevent the spread of the virus. Killington Resort and Pico Mountain are both scheduled to be closed through March 22. Stowe Mountain, Stratton Mountain and Sugarbush Resort also announced closures.

Virginia

Richmond: Gov. Ralph Northam on Sunday banned all public gatherings of more than 100 people statewide and ordered a two-week shutdown of municipal offices in an area of southeast Virginia that has been hit by a cluster of coronavirus cases, including the state’s first death from the virus. Northam made the announcement after meeting with local officials in the Peninsula Health District, where eight people have tested positive for the virus, including one man in his 70s who died of respiratory failure caused by the virus. The peninsula covers Williamsburg, Newport News, Poquoson, James City County and York County. Statewide, 45 people have tested positive for the virus, Northam said. Northam stopped short of ordering a full statewide quarantine but urged residents, particularly people who live in the peninsula district, to avoid crowds. Local officials urged people in the district to avoid gatherings of more than 50 people.

Washington

Seattle: The death toll from the new coronavirus in the state jumped to 40 on Saturday when King County health officials reported three new fatalities – two from the nursing home that’s been the epicenter of the outbreak. The state reported Saturday that almost 650 people across Washington have tested positive in 16 counties. Health officials struggling with containment say they they have not received the equipment they need. The increase in people visiting clinics with respiratory symptoms is straining the state’s supply of personal protective gear worn by health care workers, officials say. The federal government has sent the state tens of thousands of respirators, gowns, gloves and other protective gear for health care providers, but it’s not enough, said Clark Halvorson, Assistant Secretary of Health for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response.

West Virginia

Charleston: Schools in the state will remain closed through at least March 27, Gov. Jim Justice announced Saturday in response to the coronavirus pandemic, even though the state doesn’t have a confirmed case. A release from the governor’s office Saturday said no return date has been set for students, but they will be out for at least two weeks. Also on Saturday, two large hospital systems in the state announced restricted visitations. The WVU Health System, which includes a dozen hospitals around the state, said patients would be allowed have only one visitor at a time, and children under 16 were not permitted in the hospitals. WVU encouraged people to make minimum visits. CAMC Health System is also limiting visits to one per patient from noon to 6 p.m. Justice said that with so few tests being done, people could be infected and not know it. He said that “we just haven’t found it yet, but it’s got to be here.”

Wisconsin

Milwaukee: The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state jumped to 32 on Sunday, and Milwaukee County shut down its zoo to try to stem the spread of the pandemic. Milwaukee County officials announced they were closing the Milwaukee County Zoo; Milwaukee County Parks facilities, including the Mitchell Park Domes; and the county’s senior centers. On Friday, Gov. Tony Evers ordered all of Wisconsin’s K-12 schools to close by the coming week. The move will affect nearly a million students and their families for at least the next several weeks. Courts in the area will be virtually closed starting Monday for three to six weeks. Milwaukee and Waukesha county circuit courts as well as federal courts have postponed nearly all in-person events and hearings. Some that can be done be phone of video conferencing will proceed as scheduled, but no one need report for jury duty.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: Gov. Mark Gordon declared an emergency Friday to devote health officials and National Guard troops to a potential surge in cases of the new coronavirus. The state of emergency and public health emergency signed by Gordon also orders the state Department of Homeland Security to respond to the potential health threat as needed. The governor’s moves came as the state announced Friday night that a second resident has been diagnosed with the virus. The Wyoming Department of Health said the patient is an older man from Fremont County who is in a hospital. The other case is of a Sheridan County woman who was diagnosed Wednesday. She had a relatively mild case and was improving, health officials said. It’s possible other cases have gone unidentified in Wyoming, State Epidemiologist Dr. Ali Harrist said at a news conference with Gordon on Friday.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports