Updated Jun 30, 2020 - Health

Kansas becomes latest state to make wearing masks in public mandatory

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. Photo: Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Gov. Laura Kelly (D) announced in a statement on Monday that people in Kansas will be required to wear face masks while in public due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Driving the news: The order, effective this Friday, comes as several states are seeing spikes in COVID-19 cases following local economies reopening from lockdown.

"This is a simple, proactive step we can take to keep Kansans at work, get our kids back to school, and keep ourselves and our neighbors healthy," Kelly said.

The big picture: Other states to have introduced mandatory measures for face masks are: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington.

The District of Columbia has also introduced measures on face coverings.

Go deeper: Mask mandates may have prevented hundreds of thousands of coronavirus cases

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Orion Rummler

Updated Sep 20, 2020 - Health

7 states set single-day coronavirus case records last week

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

Seven states set new highs last week for coronavirus infections recorded in a single day, according to the COVID Tracking Project and state health departments. Wisconsin and Nebraska surpassed records set the previous week.

Why it matters: Problem spots are sticking in the Midwest, although the U.S. is moving in the right direction overall after massive infection spikes this summer.

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Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 1:30 p.m. ET: 31,120,980 — Total deaths: 961,656— Total recoveries: 21,287,328 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 1:30 p.m. ET: 6,819,651 — Total deaths: 199,606 — Total recoveries: 2,590,671 — Total tests: 95,108,559 — Map.
Health: CDC says it mistakenly published guidance about COVID-19 spreading through air.
Politics: House Democrats file legislation to fund government through Dec. 11.
Business: Unemployment concerns are growing.
World: "The Wake-Up Call" warns the West about the consequences of mishandling a pandemic.

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Fadel Allassan

Sep 20, 2020 - Health

Ex-FDA chief: Career scientists won't be "easily cowed" by political vaccine pressure

The career scientists involved in the approval process will not be swayed by politics, former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday.

Why it matters: Gottlieb's comments come amid fears that the Trump administration has politicized the coronavirus response and is seeking rapid approval and distribution of a vaccine.