Coronavirus US: Miami to close beaches as cases rise in more than 30 states – live

My colleagues Dominic Rushe and Amanda Holpuch have reported on the impact coronavirus could have on people’s health insurance.

Millions of Americans who have survived Covid-19 or face future infections could lose their insurance or be barred from getting coverage should the Trump administration successfully repeal Obamacare.

The Trump administration asked the supreme court late Thursday to overturn the Affordable Care Act – a move that, if successful, would bring a permanent end to the health insurance reform law popularly known as Obamacare.

Under the ACA, insurance companies cannot deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. Its abolition would mean millions of Americans who have had or have cancer, multiple sclerosis or other diseases would struggle to find insurance.

… and welcome to another day of coverage of US politics, the coronavirus outbreak and anything in between.

The US reported more than 45,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday, marking its biggest single-day jump yet. Overall, US deaths from Covid-19 have surpassed 125,000.

Infection rates are on the rise in more than 30 states, among them Florida, where Miami mayor Carlos A Gimenez is due to sign an emergency order on Saturday closing all beaches in Miami-Dade County from 3 to 7 July, putting a damper on Fourth of July weekend in an attempt to contain an outbreak in a city responsible for more than 30,000 of the state’s 123,000 confirmed cases.

Giminez said in a statement:

After consulting with our County’s public health experts, I will be signing an emergency order on Saturday to close all beaches in Miami-Dade County starting Friday, July 3, and ending Tuesday, July 7. The closure may be extended if conditions do not improve and people do not follow New Normal rules requiring masks to be worn always inside commercial establishments and outdoors when social distancing of at least 6 feet is not possible.

As we continue to see more COVID-19 positive test results among young adults and rising hospitalizations, I have decided that the only prudent thing to do to tamp down this recent uptick is to crack down on recreational activities that put our overall community at higher risk.

Again, everyone should wear masks inside public establishments and outside if they cannot practice social distancing of at least 6 feet.

I have been seeing too many businesses and people ignoring these lifesaving rules. If people are not going to be responsible and protect themselves and others from this pandemic, then the government is forced to step in and restore common sense to save lives.

Elsewhere, US president Donald Trump has canceled today’s planned trip to his New Jersey golf club and has no public events on his schedule for the next two days.