COVID-19

New rules in Hong Kong require everyone to wear a mask in all outdoor places or face a $650 fine. Above: A masked woman stretches out a public park. Also: The maximum number of people allowed at a public gathering is ... 2.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: Cases Are Spiking Again In Hong Kong. What Are They Doing About It?

5:28pm July 31, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

Hong Kong had brought local transmission way, way down. But numbers are now going up. What kind of restrictions are being introduced for daily life to get the virus under control once more?

Health & Safety

Forsyth County's COVID-19 Test Positivity Rate Is Rising

5:24pm July 31, 2020

by April Laissle

Forsyth County's rate of positive COVID-19 tests is increasing, according to data presented by the county's public health director.

Is staying at home giving you pandemic restlessness? Try a new window's view — or explore a new place on a "walk."

World News

Don't Like The View From Your Window? Try Someone Else's

5:01pm July 31, 2020

Maybe it's been awhile since you got out. Staying home during the coronavirus pandemic has meant your view has not changed. For months. Try a change of scenery — without going outside.

Queue Listen Now

A medic checks the temperature of a Syrian worshipper before entering the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus to attend Friday prayer on May 15. To try to slow the coronavirus outbreak, the Syrian government has banned mass prayers and asked Syrians to stay home o

Syria Is Overwhelmed By Coronavirus As Govt Conceals Outbreak, Health Worker Says

4:37pm July 31, 2020

Medical workers in and outside the country say there's a lack of medicine and tests.

People relax on the beach in Miami Beach on Tuesday.

National

In Florida, COVID-19 Death Toll Keeps Rising

3:15pm July 31, 2020

by Greg Allen

The state keeps setting daily death toll records and is second behind only New York in total number of infections. The percentage of people testing positive in Florida has begun to decline, however.

A federal judge blocked further implementation of a rule issued last year by the Department of Homeland Security.

Twin Rulings By Federal Judge Block 'Public Charge' Rules For Immigrants

2:05pm July 31, 2020

by David Welna

The judge cites the coronavirus pandemic in blocking the Trump administration's attempt to widen the criteria for what makes an immigrant a "public charge."

Bar chart showing the top 10 countries for COVID-19 cases: United States, Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa, Mexico, Peru, Chile, United Kingdom and Iran.

What 6 Of The 7 Countries With The Most COVID-19 Cases Have In Common

11:46am July 31, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

They're up-and-coming nations. They're regional political powers. And they're especially vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic.

The Trump administration abruptly required hospitals to stop reporting COVID data to CDC and use a new reporting system set up by a contractor. Two weeks in, the promised improvements in the data have yet to materialize.

Health & Safety

COVID-19 Hospital Data System That Bypasses CDC Plagued By Delays, Inaccuracies

5:35am July 31, 2020

After the Trump administration moved hospital COVID-19 data reporting to HHS, bypassing the CDC, the new data system has been rife with erratic updates and anomalies.

An Amazon delivery truck is parked outside a warehouse in France on April 16. The online retail giant's revenues and profits soared in the second quarter.

Amazon Doubles Profit To $5.2 Billion As Online Shopping Spikes

8:35pm July 30, 2020

by Alina Selyukh

The company's sales went through the roof between April and June, hitting close to $89 billion — a 40% increase from a year earlier. Amazon added 175,000 new hires to help keep up with the demand.

The Phillie Phanatic sits alone in the stands during a game between the Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. During this series, as many as 19 Marlins players and coaches had already been infected with the coronavirus.

Philadelphia Phillies Put Brakes On Home Games After Coronavirus Cases

7:15pm July 30, 2020

by Tom Goldman

The Philadelphia Phillies are the latest Major League Baseball team to put a halt to games after several coronavirus cases among team personnel. It follows their weekend series against Miami.