INDIANAPOLIS — Friday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
ISDH Update
The Indiana State Department of Health reports 1,282 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 103,505.
The state also reported 10 more deaths for a total of 3,196.
US will end current health screening of some travelers
The United States plans to end enhanced health screening of travelers from certain countries next week, and those visitors will no longer be funneled through 15 large U.S. airports.
Those requirements were imposed in January to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the government will remove those edicts beginning Monday.
The CDC said the current screening, which includes temperature checks and questioning travelers about COVID-19 symptoms, “has limited effectiveness” because some infected people have no symptoms or only minor ones. Travelers go through customs only after the health screening.
The health agency said that of the 675,000 travelers who went through the process, fewer than 15 were found to have COVID-19 because of the extra screening.
The health agency said that instead it will focus on other measures, including a stronger response to reports of illness at airports, collecting passenger-contact electronically to avoid long lines, and “potential testing to reduce the risk of travel-related transmission” of the virus.
The extra health screening applies to people who have been in China, Iran, most countries in continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Brazil. Most people coming from those countries who aren’t U.S. citizens have been barred entry to the country.
'The Sandlot' showing at Victory Field Friday evening
If you're looking for something to do with the family, Victory Field could be the spot for you.
Starting Friday, Sept. 11, the stadium will become an outdoor movie theater. Here is the schedule:
Sept. 11 - "The Sandlot"
Sept. 25 - "Angels in the Outfield"
Oct. 9 - "A League of Their Own"
Gates open at 6 p.m. and showtime is 7 p.m. for each movie. Tickets are $10 to $25, or you can reserve a 6-person pod on the field for $75.
Click here for more information.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 6.39 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 3:30 a.m. ET Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 191,000 deaths and 2.4 million people recovered.
Worldwide, there have been 28.17 million confirmed cases with more than 909,000 deaths and 18.99 million recoveries.
The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher — perhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Federal money for extra $300 unemployment boost already running out
The temporary $300-a-week unemployment insurance boost implemented by President Donald Trump is about to end, with no extension in sight.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that it has distributed $30 billion of the $44 billion it had set aside for the benefit. The agency said the fund was enough to cover six weeks of additional jobless aid starting Aug. 1, so unemployed workers won't receive any more after this week.
FEMA emphasized that all eligible recipients will get the $300 boost to cover six weeks.
Some states had technical obstacles that have delayed the payments, and the federal government is still in the process of approving other states' plans to distribute the money. Eligible workers who have not yet received the $300-a-week supplement or have received less than six weeks' worth, will receive payments for their full share, according to FEMA. After that, the fund will be dry.
Trump created the program after a more generous $600-a-week benefit adopted by Congress expired. The federal government initially did not have an estimate of how long the money would last, but six weeks is in line with what experts expected.