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President-elect Joe Biden’s first major transition announcement is the formation of a COVID-19 advisory board that includes a Trump administration whistleblower.

USA TODAY

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance on the use of face masks: They not only protect the wearer but everybody else, too.

“Experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread” of the virus, the CDC says. “Individual benefit increases with increasing community mask use.”

The CDC had previously encouraged mask use as a way to help prevent infected people from spreading the coronavirus to others.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s public school system reversed its plan to resume some in-person instruction this month and, starting Wednesday, Maryland will return to 50% capacity for indoor dining at restaurants and bars. Also Tuesday, the governors of Wisconsin and Nevada pleaded with the public for help in controlling future outbreaks.

📈 Today’s numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 10.25 million cases and more than 239,600 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: more than 51.4 million cases and 1.27 million deaths.

🗺️ Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak in your state.

📰What we’re reading: A COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be authorized before the end of the year. That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to throw away your mask anytime soon.

This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter.

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In ‘danger zone,’ Maryland reimposes restrictions beginning Wednesday

Maryland Gov. Harry Logan reimposed coronavirus restrictions as the state has “crossed over into the danger zone” with a surge in COVID-19 cases, WBAL-TV reports. 

Staring Wednesday evening, indoor dining at restaurants and bars must return to 50% capacity. State health officials are “strongly advising against” indoor gatherings of more than 25 people and nonessential travel to states with a positivity rate above 10%. Those who leave the state must get tested and self-quarantine. 

“The virus has returned to our state in a big way,” Hogan said. “We absolutely must, and we will, continue to use every tool at our disposal.”

Maryland has a total of 156,709 confirmed cases and 4,084 deaths, according to the state’s COVID-19 data dashboard.

Texas sets new daily record, nears 1M cases of coronavirus

Texas set a new daily record Tuesday with 10,865 new coronavirus cases, state officials said. That brings the state to a total closer to the 1 million-case mark with 974,230 cases reported since the pandemic began in early March, according to state figures.

Officials reported 94 new deaths Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 18,863, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Report: Disney plans more furloughs

Disneyland is reportedly furloughing more workers as its closure enters its ninth month. On Monday evening, the Orange County Register and Variety both published excerpts of a staff memo from Disneyland President Ken Potrock announcing more temporary job cuts.

“Since Disneyland resort closed its gates in March, nothing has been more important than fully reopening and getting our cast members back to work,” Potrock wrote. “That’s why it is with heavy hearts we find ourselves in the untenable situation of having to institute additional furloughs for our executive, salaried and hourly cast.”

While Potrock’s memo did not appear to specify an exact number, the Register and the Long Beach Press-Telegram both put the estimate at around 10,000 jobs. In an email to USA TODAY, Disney declined to provide an estimate of how many workers will be impacted.

– Jayme Deerwester

Jon O’Brien waits at the Utah National Guard’s mobile COVID-19 testing site on Tuesday in Salt Lake City. (Photo: Rick Bowmer, AP)

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers urges but does not order people to stay home

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday issued an executive order urging, but not requiring, limits on public interaction on a day of record infections and deaths and as hospitals are running out of intensive care beds. 

It’s the first time the governor has used a primetime platform to ask the public to begin to take the pandemic seriously, nine months into the outbreak.

“Wisconsin, this is serious. This crisis is urgent,” Evers said in a speech from the Wisconsin State Capitol. “It’s not safe to go out, it’s not safe to have others over — it’s just not safe. And it might not be safe for a while yet.”

Evers’ advisory comes as Wisconsin hit new records: 7,073 new cases of COVID-19, 66 new deaths and 2,070 people in hospitals sick with the virus. As of Tuesday, there are just 128 intensive care beds available in the state — a supply that could disappear within seven days if current trends continue.

– Molly Beck and Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Gov. Steve Sisolak warns Nevadans to ‘immediately’ change their behaviors

Gov. Steve Sisolak has issued Nevadans a clear ultimatum: Shape up in two weeks, or expect steps toward another shutdown meant to halt a recent surge in coronavirus cases.

Sisolak, speaking during a Tuesday press conference at the state Capitol, told reporters the state “must see a significant reversal of the current trends” in order to keep the state’s economy up and running. He also asked local governments to step up enforcement of the state’s existing COVID-containment measures and urged employers to allow telework whenever possible — all in order to “mimic” much stricter shelter-in-place orders issued at the start of the pandemic.

The first-term Democrat has practically begged residents to follow Nevada’s mask-wearing and social distancing orders during recent virus-related press events. Now, he says he’s longer asking.

“Nevadans need to change behaviors immediately,” the governor said. “Again, if we don’t make progress over the next 14 days, I will be forced to take stronger action.”

– James DeHaven and Anjeanette Damon, Reno Gazette Journal

COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY 

Contributing: The Associated Press

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