The virus battle became personal for Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who placed himself and his close contracts into a two-week quarantine after a member of his staff tested positive for the coronavirus. In New York, an uptick in cases in Brooklyn and elsewhere prompted deployment of rapid test kits.
Good news came in the form of new funding rounds available for businesses and nonprofits in Delaware and renters needing assistance in Texas. The Lone Star State also forged a deal with insurers for coverage of telehealth appointments.
Here's a breakdown of some COVID-19-related state measures from the past week.
Click for state-by-state data on COVID-19 legislation and executive orders, powered by LexisNexis.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a 15-bill legislation package aiming to spur the construction of affordable housing and establish new rights for tenants and community groups facing foreclosure. He said the new laws were prompted by economic difficulties posed by the coronavirus.
Delaware
The state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will issue a new round of monthly emergency food benefits to eligible participants because of the continuing pandemic, state officials announced Monday. The new round was scheduled to be released Tuesday.
On Friday, Gov. John Carney revised the state's coronavirus emergency declaration to resume the processing of requests under Delaware's Freedom of Information Act.
Carney on Sept. 24 said that eligible businesses and nonprofits will be able to apply for $30 million in relief grants starting Oct. 1.
Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday that he and his close contacts will self-isolate for 14 days following word that one of his staffers tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. The staffer attended events with the governor last week, with both wearing masks "during the entirety of their interactions," according to the announcement.
Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday urged Trump to help the state fight the coronavirus by abiding by public health rules. Calling the matter "gravely concerning," Wolf said that the president's recent rally in the Keystone State flouted crowd limits, mask orders and social distancing guidelines.
New Jersey
Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday altered the list of states from which residents must enter a 14-day quarantine if they visit New Jersey, adding Colorado and removing Arizona and Virginia. States and territories on the travel advisory list have a positive coronavirus test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or have a 10% or higher positivity rate on a seven-day rolling average. The updated travel advisory list now includes Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
On Sept. 24, the Monmouth County Republican Committee launched a lawsuit challenging the legality of Murphy's vote-by-mail plan for the general election. The plan is also the target of a suit by Trump's presidential campaign.
New York
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that the state would deploy 200 rapid testing machines to Brooklyn, Orange County, Rockland County and the Southern Tier because of an uptick in coronavirus cases in those areas.
Also on Monday, Cuomo extended the state's Tenant Safe Harbor Act to include eviction warrants that existed before the pandemic started in March.
Cuomo on Sept. 24 said that the state will form an independent clinical advisory task force to review any coronavirus vaccine authorized by the federal government.
On Sept. 23, Cuomo and State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras jointly announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to the individual saliva swab diagnostic test for the coronavirus developed by SUNY Upstate Medical University and Quadrant Biosciences.
Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that $171 million in Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act funding is available for rental assistance for tenants facing potential eviction.
Also on Friday, Abbott said that the state's major health insurers have agreed to continue covering telehealth appointments at the same rate they reimburse office visits through the end of the year.
--Editing by Jill Coffey.
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