As countries around the globe beginning to lift their coronavirus-related public restrictions, new restrictions have been posed on business and social gatherings which will remain for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its previously shelved 60-page reopening guidelines for child care centers, schools, mass transit systems, restaurants, bars and other non-essential business.
Titled the "C.D.C. Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President's Plan for Opening America Up Again," the guidelines offer a "three-phased approach" for public establishments to take in the reduction of social distancing measures. The document also outlines six indicators that businesses can use to access when the appropriate time to move though into another phase. The document's outline is very flexible, offering suggestions to businesses rather than rules and laws.
"While some communities will progress sequentially through the reopening phases, there is the possibility of recrudescence in some areas," the C.D.C. wrote in the guidance. "Given the potential for a rebound in the number of cases or level of community transmission, a low threshold for reinstating more stringent mitigation standards will be essential." The agency also noted that some level of community mitigation will be necessary until a vaccine or effective treatment is widely available.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warned the nations of the world on Wednesday that the agency has hit a daily record of more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated during the agency's coronavirus Wednesday news conference that almost two-thirds of the cases were reported in just four countries.
According to the W.H.O.'s daily report, most of the new infections came from the Americas, followed by Europe and the Middle East. The agency stated that the virus is potentially spreading unknown in parts of the world with limited testing capacity and health care infrastructure.
Total Global Cases: About 5 Million
Total Deaths: Over 329,000
Total Recovered: Over 2 Million
Contact Tracing Rollout
On Wednesday, Apple
The pair's technology offers a decentralized approach to contact tracing, using Bluetooth phone signals to alert users if they have come in contact with someone who have tested positive for the coronavirus, storing the data only on the individuals' phone. In contrast, other apps like Utah's use GPS tracking and share data directly to public health infrastructures, something the tech giants are against for privacy reasons.
The biggest challenge for apps using Apple and Google's software moving forward is adoption, for the system works on a user opt-in basis to guarantee individual privacy.
On a separate note, Apple also introduced an iOS 13.5 on Wednesday, which makes it easier for users to access their iPhones that use Face ID while wearing a face mask. Before, users could not unlock their device with their mouth and nose covered, but now users can swipe up on their screen to unlock their iPhone with a passcode.
