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The mayor of Anchorage is limiting gathering sizes and the number of people allowed in bars, restaurants and entertainment venues in response to rising coronavirus cases. The order, by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, takes effect Friday and says that due to a “resurgence” in cases there is a need for increased restrictions on public interactions “to preserve health and save lives in our community.” (Bohrer, 7/23)

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) on Thursday extended his executive order closing water parks, theaters, bars and gyms a further two weeks. Ducey also declined to postpone the school reopening target date, but directed the state’s Department of Health Services to create data benchmarks for in-person classes by Aug. 17. (Budryk, 7/23)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday he is tightening restrictions throughout the state in restaurants and bars, for weddings and funerals, and at gyms in a further effort to stem a surge in COVID-19 cases. “I care about businesses opening and people getting back to work, but public health and economic activity go hand in hand,” Inslee said. “If we let this virus get even more out of control, it will have devastating effects on our health and on our economy.” (Baumann, 7/24)

During the final four weeks of the 2020 legislative session, California lawmakers vulnerable to the worst of COVID-19 will be allowed to submit proxy or remote votes on bills at the cost of losing their daily pay if they select that option. (Wiley, 7/23)

Gov. Brad Little announced Thursday that Idaho would remain in Stage 4 of the state’s reopening plan, and he opted not to implement further restrictions or open the economy more as COVID-19 cases rise. This will become the state’s fourth go at making it through Stage 4 restrictions. (Scholl, 7/23)

Dallas County reported 12 more coronavirus deaths Thursday, a day after officials announced a single-day record of 30. The county also reported 648 new cases of the virus, the third straight day with fewer than 1,000 new cases after 18 consecutive days of at least 1,000. (Jones and Branham, 7/23)

In news from the Midwest and Northeast —

As in many of the world’s cities in pandemic shutdown, the Cincinnati area breathed cleaner air this spring. But as soon as people got their vehicles back on the road with the economic reopening, the bad air came back. Major pollutants of the region’s air dropped up to 20% from March 23 to June 30 compared to the same period in the previous three years, says a fact sheet and chart from the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency. (Saker, 7/23)

Residents in six central and southern Illinois counties, including the state capital’s home, filed lawsuits Thursday against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s restrictions on social interaction prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. The actions taken in Bond, Clay, Clinton, Edgar, Richland and Sangamon counties seek court orders declaring there is no public health emergency as defined by Pritzker’s Public Health Department. Springfield, the state capital, is in Sangamon County. (7/24)

At least 10 people who were at a party attended by area restaurant workers earlier this month in Chatham have tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting some local eateries to temporarily close or scale back service and authorities to launch a public health campaign to identify everyone the partygoers have been in contact with. (Andersen and Berg)

In nursing home news —

A southern Illinois judge on Thursday extended a temporary restraining order barring a nursing home from executing its closure plan until it has fulfilled all its obligations to residents. When Aperion Care Cairo announced its intention to close last week, families complained to Alexander County officials they felt rushed to select alternative placement for loved ones. (7/23)

A Massachusetts home where nearly 80 aging veterans sicked with the coronavirus have died was denied emergency aid as leadership and staff frantically worked to protect the residents, an attorney for the ousted superintendent said Thursday. The attorney said state officials initially refused in March to send National Guard aid even as the home was dealing with dire staffing shortages. The lawyer for former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh called him a “good and honorable man” who “would never do anything intentional to harm the vets.” (Durkin Richer, 7/23)