(NEW YORK) — Here are today’s In Crisis headlines:
An additional 1.186 million apply for unemployment as pandemic continues to rock economy
A total 1,186,000 people applied for unemployment in the week ending August first, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Labor Department. While the number is better than expected, representing the lowest number of people to apply for initial unemployment benefits in the last 20 weeks, it’s also the 20th consecutive week of historically high unemployment numbers. Last week’s unemployment claims is down 249,000 from the previous week’s numbers, which themselves were revised up by 1,000, to 1.435 million. Today’s numbers come ahead of tomorrow’s July jobs report, which pundits generally believe will show that somewhere between 1.3 million and 1.6 million jobs will be added to the economy, bringing the unemployment rate to 10.5 percent. However, expectations have been off dramatically in the past several weeks.
COVID-19 numbers
Here’s the latest data on COVID-19 coronavirus infections and deaths.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 18,837,392
Global deaths: 708,301. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 158,268.
Number of countries/regions: at least 188
Total patients recovered globally: 11,382,387
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 4,824,175 reported cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country.
U.S. deaths: at least 158,268. New York State has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 32,725.
U.S. total patients recovered: 1,577,851
U.S. total people tested: 58,920,975
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in California, with 530,606 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 39.51 million. That is second only to Sao Paulo, Brazil, which has 585,265 cases, as the most reported cases of any single region in the world.
COVID-19 headlines
Third member of Congress in a week tests positive for COVID-19
Republican Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois announced Wednesday night that earlier in the day, he tested positive for COVID-19. Davis said in a statement that he got tested after his temperature was 99 degrees F that morning, adding that his wife and members of his staff were also tested, but those tests came back negative. “My office and I have always followed and will continue to follow CDC guidelines, use social distancing, and wear masks or face coverings when social distancing cannot be maintained,” Davis’ statement declared. Davis said he quarantine himself and that his office will contact anyone with whom he had personal contact within the previous 48 hours. Davis is the third member of Congress in the past week to reveal they’ve tested positive for COVID-19. On July 30, Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas announced he tested positive, two days after he attended a hearing without wearing a mask. His diagnosis prompted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to mandate masks for all House members. Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona announced Saturday he’d tested positive for COVID-19.
Disproportionate number of non-white children in US dying of COVID-19
A disproportionate number of non-white children are dying in the U.S. from COVID-19, according to data released in an internal memo from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, obtained by ABC News Wednesday night. The memo shows that nationwide, from March 1 to August 3, the number of COVID-19 cases among people under age 18 were 40% Hispanic, 34% white and 19% Black. The ethnicity breakdown of those patients who died from the disease is 38% Hispanic, 34% Black and 25% white, according to the memo, while the gender breakdown of those cases is 50% male and 50% female. However, just as in adults, COVID-19 is more fatal among males under 18, which make up 64% of the deaths compared to females under 18, which account for 36% of those fatalities, according to the memo.
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