Georgia extended coronavirus restrictions. Arizona hires out-of-state nurses to help stressed hospitals. Kohl’s to require face masks. Latest news.

A new report suggests that wearing a cloth mask doesn’t just protect others from COVID-19, it can protect you as well.
USA TODAY
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday the coronavirus surge could be controlled in 4-6 weeks, if people were disciplined about wearing masks. But some states are not mandating face coverings in public.
On Wednesday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp extended coronavirus restrictions until July 31, but is still not requiring but rather “strongly” encouraging face masks in public. Kemp also banned cities and counties from mandating masks in public.
San Francisco and Sacramento are the latest cities in California to announce that public schools will not reopen in the fall as COVID-19 cases continue to spike. Los Angeles and San Diego, the state’s largest school districts, announced Monday that classes will be online-only for the fall semester.
Some recent developments: 

• The Trump administration ordered hospitals to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and send all COVID-19 patient information to a central database in Washington.
• Pennsylvania ordered statewide restrictions on bars and restaurants and larger indoor gatherings as COVID-19 cases continue to spike, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Wednesday.
• Wearing a face mask doesn’t just protect others from COVID-19, it also protects the person wearing one, a study shows.

 Today’s stats: The U.S. has surpassed 3.4 million cases with over 137,400 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been 13.5 million cases and more than 584,300 deaths.
 What we’re reading: Not everyone wants to wear a mask. Several videos have shown confrontations, often violent, over face masks. Here’s the psychology behind why some people resist them, according to experts.
San Francisco, Sacramento schools will not reopen in the fall
San Francisco and Sacramento have become the latest cities in California to announce that public school students will not return to classrooms when the new term begins because of surges in coronavirus cases and delays in getting test results back.
They join Los Angeles and San Diego, the states two largest districts. Also not reopening are schools in Oakland, Long Beach, Santa Ana, San Bernardino and others that have chosen to start the new term with digital learning amid strong concerns from teachers unions and public health officials about the safety of staff on school campuses.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond says he expects more districts to announce plans for distance learning.
Arizona hires out-of-state nurses to help with COVID-19
The state of Arizona is working with a Texas-based company to bring nearly 600 out-of-state nurses to help stressed hospitals during the COVID-19 crisis. Vizient Inc. is working with the Arizona Department of Health Services to bring critical care and medical-surgical nurses to Arizona, state health officials said Wednesday.
To be eligible, hospitals must be operating in accordance with all of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive orders and must have “exhausted other existing avenues of increasing staffing,” state officials said in a news release.
More than 30 hospitals across Arizona already have applied to the state for help with staffing, department spokeswoman Holly Poynter said Wednesday. Arizona has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the country, and its hospital system is feeling the strain of caring for the sickest of those getting the disease.
Face masks: The state most resistant to wearing masks for coronavirus protection? Arizona, study says
Stephanie Innes, Arizona Republic
Kohl’s to require shoppers wear masks nationwide starting Monday
Kohl’s will require shoppers wear face coverings at its more than 1,100 stores nationwide starting Monday, July 20. The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based retailer announced its new mask policy Wednesday, hours after Walmart, Sam’s Club and Kroger announced they would mandate masks.
“As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, face covering mandates have grown to apply to approximately 70% of our store base, therefore weve made the decision to take a consistent approach across our entire store fleet,” Kohl’s said in its statement Wednesday. “Beginning Monday, July 20, we will require all customers to wear a face covering while shopping in our stores.”
Kohl’s employees have been required to wear masks since stores started reopening May 4. 
Kelly Tyko
Georgia extends coronavirus restrictions, bans cities from mandating masks
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp extended the state’s coronavirus restrictions which was set to expire Wednesday. The governor is also banning cities and counties from mandating face coverings, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 
Kemp’s order does not require facial coverings but “strongly encourages Georgians to wear masks in public,” he said on Twitter. The order restricts gatherings of more than 50 people, requires vulnerable people to shelter in place and requires restaurants and businesses to follow specific protocols.
The extension, which expires July 31, comes a week after Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms mandated facial coverings in public and at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Some Las Vegas casinos limit smoking to prevent patrons from removing face masks
Several Las Vegas casinos are limiting smoking to keep patrons from removing the protective face masks they are required to wear.
In mid-June, Las Vegas Sands Corp. updated its policy to ask that table game players and spectators do not smoke or vape in its Venetian and Palazzo resorts. Wynn Resorts Ltd. has designated any table games without a plexiglass barrier as nonsmoking areas inside its Wynn and Encore casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
Nevada on Wednesday reported 849 new cases of COVID-19, a decline from a day earlier, when the state set a new daily high of 1,104 cases.
Detroit’s Motown Museum reopens with music-themed safety measures
The birthplace of Motown got a reboot Wednesday. Four months after closing amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Motown Museum reopened its doors to the public, the latest cautious but optimistic symbol of a new normal.
The museum provided a snapshot of the way cultural sites across the region are adapting to the pandemic: reduced capacities, social distancing, revised foot-traffic patterns and masks, masks, masks.
At the Motown Museum, entry starts with a questionnaire, accessible on mobile devices via a digital code on placards out front. After confirming youve not had recent unprotected contact with someone with COVID-19 and are personally free of symptoms, its on to a touchless temperature check, administered by a staffer on the Hitsville porch.
If alls well, you get the mark of approval: a sticker that reads Signed Sealed Delivered Im Good, in a nod to the 1970 Stevie Wonder hit.
Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press
American Airlines to lay off up to 25,000 employees
American Airlines executives warned employees late Wednesday that the airline will have to lay off as many as 25,000 front-line workers this fall because travel has not rebounded from the coronavirus crisis as they had hoped.
The job cuts, which cover unionized employees including pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and airport workers, represent nearly 30% of the company’s 85,000 front-line workers in its U.S. mainline operation. American previously cut 30% of its corporate staff, or 5,000 employees.
In a memo to employees, American CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom said the goal when the payroll protection provisions of the federal CARES Act were signed in March was to buy time for travel to rebound so no layoffs were needed when the program ends Oct. 1. “That unfortunately has not been the case,” they said.
Dawn Gilbertson
Pence defends Fauci as White House sends mixed messages on health expert
Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday defended Dr. Anthony Fauci in public comments made soon after he tweeted out a photo of the two of them at the White House.
“Dr. Fauci is a valued member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force,” Pence said on a campaign call with reporters when asked about recent attacks on Fauci by others in the administration. “We just completed our latest meeting today and we couldnt be more grateful for his steady counsel.”
The photo he tweeted showed Fauci sitting at Pence’s right hand during the meeting. Pence’s comments came a day after White House trade adviser Peter Navarro criticized Fauci in an opinion piece for USA TODAY that included remarks he’d made earlier in the week.
Maureen Groppe
More on the coronavirus from USA TODAY
Where a face mask is required: Many governors are instituting or renewing orders requiring people to wear face coverings in public as cases continue to rise. Is your state on the list? See it here. 
Coronavirus Watch: We have a few ways for you to stay informed. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here, and come together and share the latest information about the coronavirus, coping with lifestyle changes and more by joining our Facebook group.
Where are states on reopening? Some are taking preemptive measures to postpone further phases of their reopening, while others have rolled back their phases to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. See the list.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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