May 13, 2020 - Politics & Policy

U.S. granted humanitarian protection to 2 migrants at southern border over 7 weeks

A migrant carrying a toddler stands in front of the barrier at the U.S.-Mexico border. Photo: Herika Martinez/AFP

The U.S. has admitted two people seeking humanitarian protection at the southern border since March 21, amid new coronavirus restrictions from the Trump administration, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data first obtained by the Washington Post and confirmed by Axios.

The big picture: Pointing to the public health threat presented by COVID-19, the administration quickly expelled more than 20,000 people who crossed the border illegally using emergency powers provided by a CDC order. Those individuals include children and asylum-seekers who are usually protected by U.S. law.

Homeland Security officials have said the restrictions are needed to minimize the number of people held in border patrol facilities, where the virus can spread easily.

  • USCIS interviewed 59 candidates between March 21 and May 13, a USCIS official told Axios. It rejected 54 of those applicants, while three cases are pending.

Axios' Stef Kight contributed to this report.

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Axios
Updated 5 hours ago - Health

World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

Australian officials in Victoria announced Sunday 17 more deaths from COVID-19 — a new state and national record.

The big picture: Australia was on track to suppress the novel coronavirus in May, but cases have been spiking in Victoria in recent weeks, where a state of disaster was declared last week, enabling officials to introduce restrictions including a night-time curfew in state capital Melbourne.

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Orion Rummler
Aug 7, 2020 - Health

Massachusetts pauses reopening after uptick in coronavirus cases

Gov. Charlie Baker at Boston MedFlight Headquarters on Aug. 4. Photo: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday that the state's second phase of reopening is "postponed indefinitely" in response to a modest increase in coronavirus cases.

The big picture: The state is reporting more COVID-19 deaths than most others across the U.S. outside of domestic epicenters like California, or previous hotspots including New Jersey and New York, per a New York Times database.

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Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 19,648,084 — Total deaths: 727,024 — Total recoveries — 11,941,723 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 4,998,105 — Total deaths: 162,425 — Total recoveries: 1,643,118 — Total tests: 61,080,587 — Map.
  3. Politics: Trump signs 4 executive actions on coronavirus aid — Democrats, and some Republicans, criticize the move
  4. Public health: Fauci says chances are "not great" that COVID-19 vaccine will be 98% effective — 1 in 3 Americans would decline COVID-19 vaccine.
  5. Science: Indoor air is the next coronavirus frontline.
  6. Schools: How back-to-school is playing out in the South as coronavirus rages on — Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Howard to hold fall classes online.
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