Coronavirus Live Updates: Dr. Fauci says temperature checks are unreliable for COVID screening

COVID-19 Live Updates, News and Information

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Friday, August 14, 2020

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Temperature checks are not reliable for COVID-19 screening, Dr. Anthony Fauci advised during a Facebook Live with Walter Reed Medical Center.

"We have found at the NIH, that it is much, much better to just question people when they come in and save the time, because the temperatures are notoriously inaccurate, many times," he said.

As schools reopen, temperature checks have been highlights by many administrators as a protective measure.

Fauci said his temperature had read as high as 103 degrees after being outside in the hot summer air.

Here are more of today's headlines:

New Rochelle schools require remote-only learning

The latest school district to require remote-only learning was at the epicenter of the Tri-State coronavirus outbreak. The New Rochelle Schools Superintendent, Dr. Laura Feijoo said schools in New Rochelle will open with remote learning only, in an effort to make sure children and their families are as safe as possible from COVID-19.

The latest school district to require remote-only learning was at the epicenter of the Tri-State coronavirus outbreak.

Biden appeals for mask mandate

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts' predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months.

"Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus," Biden said. "It's about preventing other people from getting sick."

Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide mask mandate.

No delay in reopening NYC schools, mayor says

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio held firm Thursday to plans to reopen the nation's largest public school system within a month, despite public concerns from teachers and administrators that it's too soon to ensure the safe return of students. The city is aiming for a hybrid reopening Sept. 10, with most of the 1.1 million students spending two or three days a week in physical classrooms and learning remotely the rest of the time. Parents were given the option of requesting full-time remote learning for their children. The Democratic mayor conceded there were challenges with the plan as the city recovers from a pandemic. But he said the city has managed to lower the rate of positive cases to around 1% and that it owes it to children and their families to reopen promptly. "Our kids need to be in school," de Blasio said,.

Trump rejects idea of funding for mail-in balloting

Among the items lost in the emergency coronavirus relief talks in Washington is perhaps $10 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service to help improve service as its role in the fall election takes on greater importance, given an expected surge in mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump is against $3.4 billion demanded by Pelosi for helping states with the crush of expected mail-in ballots.

"They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots," Trump said on Thursday, adding, "If they don't get those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting because they're not equipped to have it."

The White House and congressional leaders are far apart on the size, scope and approach of aid for shoring up households, reopening schools and launching a national strategy to contain the virus, which has infected more than 5.2 million people in the United States and has killed at least 166,000, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Is it safe to go to the dentist?

Top health organizations have disagreed over the safety of dental check-ups during the coronavirus pandemic, some arguing staff may get too close to patients. The World Health Organization said dentists and their staff work so closely to the faces of patients that they are at high risk of being infected and at the same time, patients are at risk of having infections passed onto them.

Dr. Jen Ashton weighs in on whether or not it's safe for a trip to the dentist.

Meanwhile, the American Dental Association strongly disagrees. "Oral health is integral to overall health. Dentistry is essential health care," dental association officials said. Millions of patients have safely visited dentist offices during the pandemic to get a full range of dental work, according to the ADA. The association urged that regular dental care should continue with proper personal protective equipment.

Paterson schools reverse hybrid learning plan, will start remotely

Paterson, New Jersey schools approved a plan Wednesday night to revise the district's restart plan from a hybrid model to a solely virtual model until November 1, at which point officials will assess whether a hybrid model can be implemented based on local conditions at the time.

Discount cars?

Hertz had to file for bankruptcy following a dramatic drop in rentals during the pandemic. The company is selling its fleet of vehicles at a discount. Now that the company has filed for Chapter 11, it has until the end of the year to get rid of 182,000 cars in its U.S. fleet. That could mean discounts for car shoppers of more than 10 percent.

Go to the movies for 15 cents

AMC Theatres, the nation's largest movie theater chain, will reopen in the U.S. on Aug. 20 with retro ticket prices of 15 cents per movie. AMC Entertainment, which owns the chain, said Thursday that it expects to open the doors to more than 100 cinemas - or about a sixth of its nationwide locations - on Aug. 20 with throwback pricing for a day.

Brooklyn couple's dazzling date nights shine light during pandemic