Los Angeles mandates face coverings, eases some coronavirus restrictions

The death toll in the United States has grown to more than 84,000.

May 13, 2020, 10:35 PM

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 297,000 people worldwide.

More than 4.3 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding the scope of their nations' outbreaks.

Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 1.39 million diagnosed cases and at least 84,118 deaths.

Today's biggest developments:

  • DC extends stay-at-home order until June 8 
  • NYC has 82 cases of pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome
  • UNICEF warns 6,000 additional children could die a day
  • Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.

    9:14 p.m.: LA not going on lockdown for 3 months

    Responding to yesterday's announcement that upset a lot of people, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said L.A. County is not going to be on a lockdown for the next three months and the city is taking steps to reopen more locations.

    He announced additional sports and recreation venues that are reopening, along with retail stores with curbside pickup and manufacturing businesses that support retailers.

    L.A. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said on Tuesday that the lockdown would be extended "with all certainty" through August unless there was a "dramatic change."

    However, Garcetti also expanded the face-covering policy, now requiring everyone except small children and those with disabilities to wear a covering whenever they're near anyone not in their household.

    PHOTO: Los Angeles police officers patrol the Venice Beach boardwalk on horseback during the coronavirus outbreak, Wednesday, May 13, 2020, in Los Angeles.
    Los Angeles police officers patrol the Venice Beach boardwalk on horseback during the coronavirus outbreak, Wednesday, May 13, 2020, in Los Angeles.
    Mark J. Terrill/AP

    Garcetti said he was "pissed off" when he heard people dismissing the sick as "just old people."

    "This is about our collective caring and our collective health," Garcetti said.

    There have been more than 33,000 confirmed cases and at least 1,616 deaths in Los Angeles County.

    7:30 p.m.: Santa Anita approved to resume racing

    The Los Angeles County Health Department has approved Santa Anita Park restarting live racing on Friday.

    Races will be run without spectators, and essential personnel will follow strict protocols -- face masks, social distancing and health screenings that include temperature checks -- to prevent spreading COVID-19.

    "We are very grateful for the open and continuous communication with both the Health Department and Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office," said Aidan Butler, executive director of California Racing Operations for The Stronach Group, which owns the racetrack. "Supervisor Barger, in particular, understood the importance of live racing to support thousands of individuals, and that we are able to accomplish it safely under these protocols."

    Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis.

    6:45 p.m.: Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks stay-at-home order

    The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order extension on Wednesday, saying the administration exceeded its authority.

    Last month, Evers directed Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to extend the state's "Safer at Home" order, keeping nonessential businesses closed until May 26.

    In the 4-3 decision, the conservative-controlled high court said that Palm overstepped her authority in "confining all people to their homes, forbidding travel and closing businesses."

    Following the Supreme Court decision, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said on Twitter, "Disappointed but not surprised. They put lives at risk by forcing an election, of course they were going to double down. It's like no lives matter. This is bad."

    Wisconsin has 10,902 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 421 deaths, according to the latest figures from the state's health department.

    5:09 p.m.: Closed national parks plan phased reopenings

    Several national parks are starting to partially reopen, including Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service announced Wednesday.

    Yellowstone and Grand Teton, both currently closed, are set to reopen on May 18 with limited access.

    Yellowstone's Wyoming entrances will be open, while entrances in Montana and Idaho, where there are restrictions on out-of-state travel, will remain closed, NPS said. Visitors are encouraged to wear masks, and a limited number of people will be allowed in certain areas at a time.

    PHOTO: A large bison blocks traffic as tourists take photos of the animals in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park, Aug. 3, 2016.
    A large bison blocks traffic as tourists take photos of the animals in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park, Aug. 3, 2016. Access to the southern half of Yellowstone National Park will resume Monday, May 18, by way of Wyoming but park officials continue to talk with Montana about reopening the rest of the park after a seven-week closure due to the coronavirus, Superintendent Cam Sholly said, May 13, 2020.
    Matthew Brown/AP, FILE

    Grand Teton in Wyoming will reopen access to main roads, hiking trails and more, while the campgrounds and visitors center will remain closed.

    Arizona's Grand Canyon will increase access to South Rim viewpoints from May 15 to 18. The South Rim South Entrance will be open to traffic from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The park recommends arriving no later than 9:30 a.m. to avoid traffic backups. All visitor facilities and trails in the park remain closed, including Grand Canyon Village and Desert View.

    Rocky Mountain National Park will start a phased reopening on May 27, the NPS announced Tuesday.

    NPS said it is working with federal, state and local public health authorities to increase access on a park-by-park basis.

    3:30 p.m.: Harvard Medical School's incoming students will begin fall semester online

    Harvard Medical School's incoming students will start their fall semester online, The Harvard Crimson reported Wednesday.

    The school aims to have all students back on campus by January, the newspaper said.

    2:45 p.m.: DC extends stay-at-home order until June 8 

    In Washington, D.C., the stay-at-home order, ban on mass gatherings and closure of nonessential businesses will be extended through June 8, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday.

    Bower said two out of four benchmarks for reopening that have not been met: D.C. has not had a 14-day decrease in community spread -- only a 4-day decrease. And D.C. has not sufficiently contact traced all new cases and associates -- so far the district has only been able to trace "priority populations and their close contacts."

    In D.C., 6,584 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and 350 people have died.

    1:30 p.m.: NJ reopening retail for curbside pickup

    In New Jersey, nonessential retail stores can open for curbside pickup beginning Monday, though customers cannot go inside, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday.

    Drive-in and drive-thru events, like movies and religious services, will also be allowed, as long as people remain in their cars, Murphy said.

    The ban on gatherings still applies, Murphy said, as he urged people to continue to stay home as much as possible.

    PHOTO: A man and woman converse outside a beer store during the coronavirus pandemic on May 7, 2020, in Atlantic City, N.J.
    A man and woman converse outside a beer store during the coronavirus pandemic on May 7, 2020, in Atlantic City, N.J.
    Mark Makela/Getty Images

    Looking forward, the state is working on a plan to reopen facilities for elective surgeries, the governor said.

    "While we've made enormous progress, we're still not in the end zone," Murphy cautioned. "As we take these steps, we ask for your continued patience. We're moving slowly and deliberately because any misstep risks further outbreaks."

    PHOTO: People line up in their cars at the drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at the  Bergen Community College main campus, in Paramus, N.J., May 12, 2020.
    People line up in their cars at the drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at the Bergen Community College main campus, in Paramus, N.J., May 12, 2020.
    Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

    New Jersey has over 141,000 diagnosed cases of the coronavirus. The death toll has reached 9,702.

    1 p.m.: 75 deaths among NYC's homeless

    The homeless are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, and in New York City, 75 homeless people have now succumbed to the virus, according to the Department of Social Services.

    There are 920 homeless people in the city who have tested positive.

    PHOTO: A homeless man waits for a shower to open at a Doctors Without Borders temporary shower trailer in Manhattan for the homeless and other vulnerable communities on May 07, 2020 in New York.
    A homeless man waits for a shower to open at a Doctors Without Borders temporary shower trailer in Manhattan for the homeless and other vulnerable communities on May 07, 2020 in New York.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    As the New York City subway system shuts down each night for disinfecting, the police are contacting the homeless who take shelter on the subways and trying to bring them to hospitals or shelters.

    12:12 p.m.: NYC has 82 cases of Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome

    In New York City there are 82 confirmed cases of Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with COVID-19, an inflammatory syndrome which has features that overlap with Kawasaki disease.

    PHOTO: Bobby Dean, 9, lies in a hospital bed in Rochester, N.Y., after being admitted with severe dehydration, abdominal pain and a racing heart. Doctors diagnosed him with a pediatric inflammatory syndrome related to the coronavirus.
    Bobby Dean, 9, lies in a hospital bed in Rochester, N.Y., after being admitted with severe dehydration, abdominal pain and a racing heart. He tested positive for coronavirus at the hospital and the doctors diagnosed him with a pediatric inflammatory syndrome related to the virus. After six days in the hospital, he was able to go home on Mothers Day.
    Dean Family Photo via AP

    Howard Zucker, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, said last week that "most children with COVID-19 only experience mild symptoms, but in some, a dangerous inflammatory syndrome can develop."

    Of those 82 cases, 53 tested positive for COVID-19 or antibodies, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday.

    New York City makes up the majority of New York state's 102 reported cases. Three young people in New York state have died: a 5-year-old boy, 7-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman.

    PHOTO: Usually one of the most congested streets in Manhattan, 42nd Street stands nearly empty on May 12, 2020 in New York City.
    Usually one of the most congested streets in Manhattan, 42nd Street stands nearly empty on May 12, 2020 in New York City.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that 14 other states have reported cases: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington, as well as Washington, D.C.

    "This is truly disturbing," Cuomo said. "We raise it because it's something parents should be aware of."

    "There are still unanswered questions," de Blasio said, like what makes some children susceptible, how long it takes to manifest and the likelihood of it developing. But it is known that if diagnosed early, children can be treated effectively, he said.

    Cuomo said the State Department of Health will host a webinar for health care providers Thursday to discuss the disease.

    If a child has symptoms including persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain and vomiting, parents are urged to call their pediatrician immediately.

    12 p.m.: In NY, essential workers test positive at lower rate than general population

    In New York City, essential workers are testing positive at lower rates than the general population, which Gov. Cuomo attributes to the general population not wearing masks.

    New York City's general population is testing positive at a rate of 19.9%, compared to 12.2% for health care workers and 10.5% for New York City police.

    PHOTO: Patrons wear protective masks as they ride a 7 train, May 13, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.
    Patrons wear protective masks as they ride a 7 train, May 13, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.
    Frank Franklin II/AP

    "PPE works, masks work, gloves work," Cuomo stressed.

    In New York City, the latest tracking progress indicators are a mixed bag.

    PHOTO: Edgar Chun who was laid off from his job in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, appeals to Pastor Juan Carlos Ruiz for emergency food aid in front of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, May 12, 2020.
    Edgar Chun, left, who was laid off from his job as a mover in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, appeals to Pastor Juan Carlos Ruiz for emergency food aid in front of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, May 12, 2020.
    Kathy Willens/AP

    On Monday, 78 people were admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19 -- up from 51 admissions on Sunday.

    There were 561 patients in intensive care units on Monday -- up from 550 on Sunday.

    And of those tested citywide on Monday, 13% were positive. One day earlier, 14% were positive.

    The state recorded an additional 166 deaths on Tuesday.

    11:50 a.m.: NJ orders testing at all long-term care facilities

    All long-term care facilities in New Jersey must implement COVID-19 testing for staff and residents by May 26, according to a directive signed by New Jersey Heath Commissioner Judith Persichilli on Tuesday.

    New Jersey's long-term care facilities have been particularly hard hit. The state has 90,000 residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Nearly 26,000 positive cases have been reported, according to the state.

    PHOTO: A man sits outside the New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus, a state-run home for former members of the US military in Paramus, N.J. on  May 12, 2020.
    A man sits outside the New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus, a state-run home for former members of the US military in Paramus, N.J. on May 12, 2020.
    Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

    In April, a pilot project tested 4,600 residents and staff at 16 long-term care facilities in the state, and the project found a majority of those who were positive were asymptomatic, according to the state.

    The New Jersey attorney general's office started investigating the state's long-term care facilities in April.

    "Our investigation was prompted by both the high number of deaths we were seeing during the COVID-19 pandemic and by the disturbing reports we were receiving: reports of bodies piled up in makeshift morgues, of nurses and staff without adequate PPE," New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said last week.

    The state asked the public to report any misconduct anonymously through an online portal.

    11:25 a.m.: Gyms, pools now open in Arizona

    Gyms and pools can reopen in Arizona on Wednesday, but Gov. Doug Ducey cautioned Tuesday, "this does not mean a return to normal."

    PHOTO: Children play with coins in a fountain on a hot day at Desert Ridge Marketplace during the phased reopening from coronavirus disease restrictions in north Phoenix, May 11, 2020.
    Children play with coins in a fountain on a hot day at Desert Ridge Marketplace during the phased reopening from coronavirus disease restrictions in north Phoenix, May 11, 2020.
    Nicole Neri/Reuters

    Vulnerable individuals should still stay home, Ducey said, and in-person visits to nursing homes remain prohibited.

    Schools remain closed and residents should continue to telework when possible and minimize nonessential travel.

    Retail shopping, barber shops and salons were permitted to reopen on May 8. Dine-in services resumed on May 11.

    PHOTO: Manager David Grady and owner Mimi Nguyen do a mother and daughter's nails at AZ Nails Spa 101 in Peoria, Ariz., May 8, 2020.
    Manager David Grady and owner Mimi Nguyen do a mother and daughter's nails at AZ Nails Spa 101 in Peoria, Ariz., May 8, 2020.
    Arizona Republic via USA Today Network

    Arizona's stay-at-home order will expire on Friday and professional sports leagues can restart in the state without spectators after Friday.

    9:15 a.m.: UK 'cannot now go back to square 1,' prime minister warns

    As some people in the United Kingdom returned to work Wednesday for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cautioned that the country must not "proceed too fast or too recklessly."

    "What we are doing is entirely conditional and provisional," Johnson told lawmakers in British Parliament on Wednesday. "The U.K. has made a huge amount of progress. The people of this country have worked incredibly hard to get the [virus reproduction rate] down. We cannot now go back to square one. We can't risk a second outbreak, and we will do everything to avoid that."

    While the rules on social distancing remain in place, Wednesday marks the first day that people are allowed to return to work if they cannot do their job from home. People are now also allowed to leave their homes for unlimited amounts of exercise, to sunbathe and to drive to other destinations. Fines for those who break the rules, which are still limited to spending time with members of your own household, will be increased, according to Johnson.

    PHOTO: Commuters wearing face masks to protect against the novel coronavirus travel in the morning rush hour on underground trains from West Ham station toward central London on May 13, 2020.
    Commuters wearing face masks to protect against the novel coronavirus travel in the morning rush hour on underground trains from West Ham station toward central London on May 13, 2020, as people start to return to work after lockdown restrictions were eased.
    Daniel Leal-olivas/AFP via Getty Images

    The prime minister announced the modifications to the nationwide lockdown and a phased plan to reopen society during a televised address on Sunday, but the measures were roundly criticized as lacking clarity. Johnson said that England had changed its formal government slogan to "Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives," from the previous guidance which said that people must "stay at home" to stop the spread of the coronavirus and protect the National Health Service (NHS). The new messaging puts England at odds with the three other countries of the United Kingdom.

    The national governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have indicated they will continue to adhere to the previous official advice of "Stay at Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives," despite the modifications announced by Johnson. Although Johnson is the prime minister, public health legislation is devolved to national governments within the United Kingdom.

    The United Kingdom currently has one of the world's highest national death tolls from COVID-19, second only to that of the United States. More than 227,000 people in the European island nation have been diagnosed with the disease and at least 32,769 have died, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

    8:23 a.m.: UNICEF warns 6,000 additional children could die a day

    An additional 6,000 children could die every day from preventable causes over the next six months as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries with already weak health systems, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned Wednesday.

    The estimate is based on an analysis by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the findings of which were published Tuesday in The Lancet Global Health journal. Based on the worst of three modeled scenarios in 118 low- and middle-income nations, the analysis estimates that an additional 1.2 million children under the age of 5 could die in just six months due to reductions in routine health service coverage levels and an increase in child wasting.

    PHOTO: Sofiat Kolawole, 8, Olatunji Adebayo, 11, and Amira Akanbi 11, pose for a photograph while holding pictures that they drew during the coronavirus pandemic, as they stand in front of their house in Lagos, Nigeria, on April 18, 2020.
    Sofiat Kolawole, 8, Olatunji Adebayo, 11, and Amira Akanbi 11, pose for a photograph while holding pictures that they drew during the coronavirus pandemic, as they stand in front of their house in Lagos, Nigeria, on April 18, 2020. Sofiat, who drew her school, said: "What I drew now is different from what I normally draw before the lockdown because I miss my school... The lockdown has made me angry because I can't go to school." Olatunji said: "I drew a football and I miss playing football with my friends." Amira said: "I drew my teacher Miss Bada and I miss my school and my teacher."
    Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

    These potential child deaths will be in addition to the 2.5 million children who already die before their 5th birthday every six months in the 118 countries included in the study, threatening to reverse nearly a decade of progress on ending preventable under-five mortality.

    "Under a worst-case scenario, the global number of children dying before their fifth birthdays could increase for the first time in decades," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement on Wednesday. "We must not let mothers and children become collateral damage in the fight against the virus. And we must not let decades of progress on reducing preventable child and maternal deaths be lost."

    7:25 a.m.: 'We'll never be completely open until we have a cure,' Los Angeles mayor says

    Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that the city will "never be completely open until we have a cure," as county health officials recommend stay-at-home orders remain in place for months longer to help suppress the spread of the novel coronavirus.

    "I think we have to all recognize that we're not moving beyond COVID-19, we're learning to live with it," Garcetti told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview on "Good Morning America."

    PHOTO: Traffic remains light on roads and freeways in Los Angeles, California, on May 12, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
    Traffic remains light on roads and freeways in Los Angeles, California, on May 12, 2020. The stay-at-home order for residents of Los Angeles County will likely be extended through the end of July unless the number of COVID-19 cases dramatically decreases, health officials said on May 12.
    Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

    Garcetti urged residents "not to overreact" to the comments made Tuesday by Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the public health director of Los Angeles County, who recommended that the county extend stay-at-home orders for at least three more months. The county's original stay-at-home order is set to expire Friday.

    "But it's important to take this serious because [the virus] is as dangerous today as it was the first day that it arrived in our cities and our country," Garcetti added. "So quite frankly, there's no so-called open state or open country that doesn't continue to have health orders telling us to cover our faces, physically distance and to tell people that you're safest working from and staying at home. That's all that the county health director was saying, and we can't expect that to disappear in a matter of weeks or even a few months."

    PHOTO: In this file photo taken on May 7, 2020, a sign that's been in place since mid-March announces the temporary closures of restaurants, nightclubs, gyms and entertainment venues at LA Live in Los Angeles, California.
    In this file photo taken on May 7, 2020, a sign that's been in place since mid-March announces the temporary closures of restaurants, nightclubs, gyms and entertainment venues at LA Live in Los Angeles, California. The stay-at-home order for residents of Los Angeles County will likely be extended through the end of July unless the number of COVID-19 cases dramatically decreases, health officials said on May 12.
    Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

    The mayor said he hopes the city's K-12 school will be able to reopen in "some sense," though he cautioned "it won't be in the way that we've known school in the past" and vulnerable children won't be able to go back "for some time."

    "It might be fewer days a week, it might be staggered because we have to maintain that physical distance," Garcetti said. "Look, we have to tell the hard truths and protect our people. At the same time, we take steps forward."

    "We've never been fully closed. We'll never be completely open until we have a cure," he continued. "I do believe that we can take steps but monitor those numbers, listen to the scientists and the medical professionals and make the tough calls even when there's criticism."

    PHOTO: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appears on "Good Morning America," May 13, 2020.
    Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appears on "Good Morning America," May 13, 2020.
    ABC News

    More than 32,000 people in Los Angeles County have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and at least 1,570 have died, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

    Garcetti said he was proud of how his city and the county has stood up its own testing centers, which he said is essential for reopening.

    "We have a capacity of 20,000 tests a day just in Los Angeles County, whereas the country is doing 300,000 tests a day and we're just 3% of the population," he said. "We've got to keep that going and we have to make it regular. For kids to go back to school, we need testing. For workers to get back to work, we need testing."

    "We were the first city in America to offer widespread testing to people with and without symptoms," he added, "because we've got to find the silent spreaders that are amongst us as well."

    What to know about coronavirus:

    7:06 a.m.: Hong Kong reports locally transmitted cases for 1st time in 23 days

    Hong Kong reported two new locally transmitted infections of COVID-19 on Wednesday, after 23 straight days with only imported cases.

    Health officials are working to trace any close contacts of the two new patients.

    PHOTO: Pedestrians wear face masks as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus as they walk across a road in Hong Kong on May 13, 2020.
    Pedestrians wear face masks as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus as they walk across a road in Hong Kong on May 13, 2020. Health officials said two people in Hong Kong tested positive for COVID-19 on May 13, after days of no new local cases that encouraged the semiautonomous Chinese city to begin easing social distancing rules.
    Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

    "We are all very concerned," Dr. Chui Tak-yi, undersecretary of Hong Kong's Food and Health Bureau, told a press conference Wednesday. "We must heighten our alertness. Citizens cannot let their guards down and must continue to carry out anti-epidemic measures."

    The semi-autonomous Chinese city now has 1,051 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including four deaths, according to the latest data from Hong Kong's Department of Health.

    6:13 a.m.: California authorities says Tesla can reopen factory with new safety measures

    Tesla can reopen its sole U.S. vehicle factory in California as soon as next week, so long as the electric carmaker adopts extra safety recommendations amid the coronavirus pandemic, local officials said.

    The Alameda County Health Department released a statement late Tuesday announcing that the plant in Fremont, some 40 miles southeast of San Francisco, will be allowed to go beyond basic operations this week and start manufacturing vehicles on Monday if Tesla holds up its part of the agreement.

    "We reviewed the plan and held productive discussions today with Tesla's representatives about their safety and prevention plans, including some additional safety recommendations," the health department said in the statement. "If Tesla's Prevention and Control Plan includes these updates, and the public health indicators remain stable or improve, we have agreed that Tesla can begin to augment their Minimum Business Operations this week in preparation for possible reopening as soon as next week."

    PHOTO: An aerial view of the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California, on May 12, 2020.
    An aerial view of the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California, on May 12, 2020.
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    The Alameda County Health Department noted that it will be working with the Fremont Police Department to verify whether Tesla "is adhering to physical distancing and that agreed upon health and safety measures are in place for the safety of their workers as they prepare for full production."

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter earlier this week that he was restarting production at the Fremont factory in defiance of the county's ordinance. Operations at the plant apparently continued into Tuesday, although the company met a Monday deadline to submit a site-specific plan for worker safety.

    "I will be on the line with everyone else," Musk tweeted. "If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me."

    It's unclear whether Tesla would face any punishment for the reopening.

    5:10 a.m.: Russia reports over 10,000 new cases for 11th straight day

    Russia reported more than 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday for the 11th day in a row, as the country emerges as a new hot spot in the coronavirus pandemic.

    There were 10,028 new infections confirmed in Russia over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 242,271, according to the country's coronavirus response headquarters.

    PHOTO: A woman wearing a protective face mask walks in a business district amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease in Moscow, Russia, on May 12, 2020.
    A woman wearing a protective face mask walks in a business district amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease in Moscow, Russia, on May 12, 2020.
    Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters

    Russia has the second-largest national tally of COVID-19 cases in the world, behind the United States. The country reported a record 11,656 new infections on Monday.

    Russia also has one of the world's fastest rates of new infections in the coronavirus pandemic, second only to the U.S.

    However, the country's death toll from the disease remains relatively low with just 96 new fatalities reported over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 2,212, according to the coronavirus response headquarters.

    4:41 a.m.: Pakistan reports record daily spike in COVID-19 cases

    Pakistan saw more than 2,000 new infections of the novel coronavirus in a single day for the first time since the outbreak began.

    The country's health ministry said Wednesday there were a record 2,255 new cases of COVID-19 registered over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 34,312.

    PHOTO: Commuters make their way along a street in Karachi, Pakistan, on May 12, 2020, after the government eased a nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
    Commuters make their way along a street in Karachi, Pakistan, on May 12, 2020, after the government eased a nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
    Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty Images

    The spike comes just days after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan began a phased reopening of the nation after a weekslong lockdown.

    Khan has argued that the country's poorest were worst-affected by the coronavirus restrictions, as a vast majority of the population earn barely $75 a month, mostly doing daily wage work.

    3:28 a.m.: Fresno City Council president cited for 3 counts of assault after confrontation with protesters

    Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias was cited for three counts of assault after a group of anti-lockdown protesters approached his home Tuesday afternoon, police said.

    The unarmed protesters showed up at Arias's residence to demand the reopening of businesses and the lifting of social-distancing restrictions in the California city. A spokesman for the Fresno Police Department told ABC News there was sufficient evidence that Arias committed assault against the protesters.

    Video allegedly was taken by one of the protesters purportedly shows the city council president shoving a man down a staircase away from the front door of his apartment.

    PHOTO: Hundreds of people gather to protest the stay-at-home orders outside the state capitol building in Sacramento, California, on May 1, 2020.
    Hundreds of people gather to protest the stay-at-home orders outside the state capitol building in Sacramento, California, on May 1, 2020. Some people intentionally jammed roads while honking and holding out signs while others disrespected social distancing rules by gathering in close proximity, causing police to form skirmish lines to push back the protesters.
    Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

    Arias claims the protesters tried to break into his home and refused to leave.

    "Not only did they go into private property that's gated that requires security to get through, but they showed up to my front door and banged on my front door," Arias told Fresno ABC station KFSN. "Folks didn't want to give way to my private property, so I moved them out of the way."

    Investigators are still trying to determine whether there was an attempted break-in. Police said they are beefing up security at the homes of other city leaders at this time as a precaution.

    ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs, Matt Gutman, Marilyn Heck, Aaron Katersky, Alina Lobzina, Abigail Shalawylo and Ben Siu contributed to this report.

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