By Khaleda Rahman

National Correspondent

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Coronavirus deaths in the United States climbed by 1,435 in 24 hours, the Agence France Presse reported, citing a tally by Johns Hopkins University, on Saturday night. As of Sunday morning, the total number of deaths has risen to more than 66,300, while confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, surpassed 1.1 million, by far the most of any country in the world.

The number of new cases are rising in some U.S. states, including Texas, Arizona and Tennessee, according to analysis by The New York Times. But other states, including New Jersey, Florida and Connecticut, appear to be past the peak of the outbreak and are seeing a drop in the number of new cases each day.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy referenced the encouraging signs in an update posted to his Facebook page on Saturday night, but said his state was still losing "too many residents" to the virus.

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Unfortunately, even with the positive trends we’re seeing, we continue to lose too many residents to #COVID19.With...

Posted by Governor Phil Murphy on Saturday, May 2, 2020

"Unfortunately, even with the positive trends we're seeing, we continue to lose too many residents to #COVID19," Murphy wrote. "With heavy hearts, we must report an additional 205 deaths from among our New Jersey family. We've now lost 7,742 blessed souls to this virus."

Oregon extends state of emergency for 60 days

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed an executive order on Friday, extending the state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak to July 6. The original declaration, signed early in March, had been due to expire on May 7.

The move gives Brown the authority to maintain orders she's issued to curb the spread of thee virus, including the state's stay-at-home order, her spokesman told OregonLive. Brown's Stay Home, Save Lives order has been in effect since March 23.

On Friday, Brown announced new plans for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing as part of her framework for reopening the state safely.

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But she warned that physical distancing would still have to remain a part of people's lives until a vaccine or effective treatment is found. "I want to be clear that we will not be able to open Oregon quickly or in one fell swoop," she said. "This process will happen more slowly than any of us would like."

She said that certain parts of the state, there are almost "zero cases and few hospitalizations" and she hopes that the least affected regions and counties could start reopening as early as May 15.

But on Saturday, hundreds of people gathered to protest Oregon's stay-at-home order at the state capitol in Salem.

The Associated Press reported that most of the protesters did not wear face masks as they waved American flags, Trump campaign signs and ones criticizing Brown. Others wielded signs that said "Reopen Oregon" and "Let me earn a living."

Oregon had 2,635 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the latest figures from the state health department, and 109 deaths.

Texas records third day of more than 1,000 new cases

More than 1,000 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Texas on Saturday for the third day in a row.

It came as the state entered its first weekend of reopening the economy with Texans permitted to visit restaurants, malls and stores after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's statewide stay-at-home order expired Friday.

The Texas Department of Health reported 1,293 new cases on Saturday, the highest single-day infection rate since April 10 when 1,441 cases were reported.

Health officials also reported 31 new deaths on Saturday, bringing the state's toll to 847. Texas has more than 30,000 confirmed cases while almost 15,000 people have recovered.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advice on Using Face Coverings to Slow Spread of COVID-19

• CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering in public where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
• A simple cloth face covering can help slow the spread of the virus by those infected and by those who do not exhibit symptoms.
• Cloth face coverings can be fashioned from household items. Guides are offered by the CDC. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html)
• Cloth face coverings should be washed regularly. A washing machine will suffice.
• Practice safe removal of face coverings by not touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash hands immediately after removing the covering.

World Health Organization advice for avoiding spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Hygiene advice

• Clean hands frequently with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub.
• Wash hands after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after food preparation; before eating; after using the toilet; when hands are visibly dirty; and after handling animals or waste.
• Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your hands, nose and mouth. Do not spit in public.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing. Discard the tissue immediately and clean your hands.

Medical advice

• Avoid close contact with others if you have any symptoms.
• Stay at home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and runny nose, to avoid potential spread of the disease to medical facilities and other people.
• If you develop serious symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) seek medical care early and contact local health authorities in advance.
• Note any recent contact with others and travel details to provide to authorities who can trace and prevent spread of the disease.
• Stay up to date on COVID-19 developments issued by health authorities and follow their guidance.

Mask and glove usage

• Healthy individuals only need to wear a mask if taking care of a sick person.
• Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
• Masks are effective when used in combination with frequent hand cleaning.
• Do not touch the mask while wearing it. Clean hands if you touch the mask.
• Learn how to properly put on, remove and dispose of masks. Clean hands after disposing of the mask.
• Do not reuse single-use masks.
• Regularly washing bare hands is more effective against catching COVID-19 than wearing rubber gloves.
• The COVID-19 virus can still be picked up on rubber gloves and transmitted by touching your face.

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