New York City continued to trend at a 1% infection rate, while all other indicators remained below their thresholds.
Meantime, New Jersey's daily positivity was 2.57% on August 1, still one of the lowest states but higher than recent days. The rate of transmission is slowing ticking down from Sunday's four-month high, though Governor Phil Murphy said the 1.32 rate is still too high.
"We need to get this number back below 1, and the only tried-and-true way we can do so is by social distancing, wearing a mask, practicing good hand hygiene, and taking responsibility for our action," he said.
Crowded indoor house parties continue to be the reason these numbers are high, he added.
Here are more of today's headlines:
Ohio governor tests positive ahead of Trump visit
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tested positive Thursday for the coronavirus just ahead of a planned meeting with President Donald Trump. The Republican governor's office said Thursday that he took the test as part of standard protocol before meeting Trump at an airport in Cleveland. He had planned to join the president on a visit to the Whirlpool Corp. plant in northwest Ohio.
No new deaths in Connecticut for 2nd day
For the second day in a row, there have been no new COVID-19-associated deaths in Connecticut, according to data released on Wednesday. It also marked the sixth day in the past month that no new deaths were reported.
Quarantine checkpoints
New York City has set up checkpoints to trace travelers from states or locations on the Tri-State travel advisory list with fines up $10,000 fines for quarantine violations. Mayor Bill de Blasio says the COVID-19 traveler registration checkpoints are located at key entry points into New York City to ensure compliance with New York State quarantine requirements and further the containment of COVID-19. Travelers who have visited those designated states or territories with high COVID-19 transmission rates are required to complete the New York State Department of Health traveler form and quarantine for a period of 14 days upon entering New York City.
Chicago to begin school year online
New York City is the only major school district in the country that will try to offer in-person classes after Chicago schools opted to reopen online only. Chicago had hoped for a hybrid model approach with part in-school, part remote learning, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city is in "a very different place" than it was when the hybrid idea was proposed.
Florida has 50 hospitals with no open ICU beds
Florida has 50 hospitals with no available ICU beds, the state's Agency for Healthcare Administration reported. Two counties have no open ICU beds. Florida also surpassed 500,000 coronavirus cases, joining California as the only states with more than a half-million cases.
Biden won't go to Milwaukee for DNC acceptance speech
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept his party's White House nomination because of concerns over the coronavirus.
Widow blames Trump, Texas governor for husband's death
A woman whose husband died due to COVID-19 in northeast Texas said his death happened because of Pres. Trump and Gov. Abbott. In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Stacey Sylos Nagy shared the obituary for her husband David that was printed in her town's newspaper. She said the blame for her husband David's death falls on the politicians who were more concerned with getting votes than others' lives.
7 On Your Side goes to mayor after NYC nurses slammed with parking tickets
7OYS goes to mayor after NYC nurses slammed with parking tickets
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