Mar 19, 2020 - Health

State Department warns U.S. citizens against all international travel

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The State Department Thursday issued a Level 4 travel advisory for all international travel, warning Americans not to fly abroad due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The action will have Americans outside the U.S. return home immediately or face remaining abroad "for an indefinite period." This is the department’s highest level of travel alert.

Go deeper: State Department suspends most global visa services

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Axios
Updated 7 hours ago - Health

U.S. coronavirus updates

Data: The COVID Tracking Project; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

South Carolina restaurants and bars will have to close alcohol sales by 11 p.m., beginning Saturday, under an order issued Friday by Gov. Henry McMaster.

The big picture: The U.S. had another record single-day spike of 63,200 new coronavirus cases from Thursday. COVID-19 cases in South Carolina have increased, with 21,560 cases recorded in the last two weeks.

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Courtenay Brown
Updated Jun 25, 2020 - Economy & Business

Another 1.5 million Americans filed for unemployment last week

Data: FRED; Chart: Axios Visuals

Another 1.5 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The number of newly filed jobless claims has steadily dropped since peaking in March, but the pandemic is still forcing more than a million workers to the ranks of unemployment each week — over twice the all-time record seen before the coronavirus hit.

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Orion Rummler
Jun 24, 2020 - Health

Houston hospitals near capacity as coronavirus cases climb statewide

Joseph Varon, the doctor in charge of the COVID-19 unit at United Memorial Medical Center in north Houston, checks on a patient, May 6. Photo: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

97% of intensive care beds in Houston's Texas Medical Center are occupied as of Wednesday.

Why it matters: Houston is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Texas. The state reported a record number of coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, per the state health department — which is not purely due to expanded testing.

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