Jun 6, 2020 - Health

Cities offer free COVID-19 testing amid George Floyd protests

Protesters gather at a rally and candlelight vigil for George Floyd in Las Vegas on June 5, 2020. Photo: Denise Truscello/Getty Images

Cities and states are beginning to offer free coronavirus testing as mass protests across the U.S. continue in the wake of George Floyd's death, The Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Public health experts and officials are cautiously watching hospitalizations and caseloads to gauge whether a spike will follow the demonstrations, per the Post.

  • Coronavirus cases in the U.S. remain high, with almost 1.9 million confirmed cases and just over 109,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The state of play:

  • City officials in San Francisco launched free, pop-up mobile testing for those who are concerned they've been exposed, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Illinois announced COVID-19 testing will be free for anyone without insurance, a doctor's note or a car.
  • Seattle started offering free testing on Friday.
  • Louisville is providing free tests to protesters on Saturday and Sunday, per Spectrum News 1.

Go deeper: Protests against police brutality threaten coronavirus response

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Orion Rummler
Updated Oct 19, 2020 - Health

8 states set single-day coronavirus case records last week

Data: Compiled by Axios; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

8 states set new highs last week for coronavirus infections recorded in a single day, according to the COVID Tracking Project (CTP) and state health departments. Montana, West Virginia, and Wyoming surpassed records from the previous week.

Why it matters: Cases and hospitalizations are rising in Michigan, a state that initially fought the pandemic with strict mitigation efforts, alongside states that took less action against the spread of the virus this spring.

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Axios
Updated 7 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Politics: Chris Christie: Wear a mask "or you may regret it — as I did" — Senate Democrats block vote on McConnell's targeted relief bill.
  2. Business: New state unemployment filings fall.
  3. Economy: Why the stimulus delay isn't a crisis (yet).
  4. Health: FDA approves Gilead's remdesivir as a coronavirus treatment — How the pandemic might end — Many U.S. deaths were avoidable.
  5. Education: Boston and Chicago send students back home for online learning.
  6. World: Spain and France exceed 1 million cases.
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Neal Rothschild
Sep 11, 2020 - Health

We're numb to the coronavirus

Data: Newswhip; Chart: Axios Visuals

We're over COVID even if it isn't over us.

Why it matters: Six months into the pandemic, online engagement around coronavirus stories has dropped off markedly and continues to reach new lows even as the pandemic continues, according to data from NewsWhip provided exclusively to Axios.

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