What you need to know about coronavirus on Sunday, June 14

Ready or not, here comes a big week for reopening. France is lifting travel restrictions, New Jersey will allow outdoor dining, British shops plan on unlocking their doors and Greek museums will welcome visitors again.

But as countries take steps to revive their economies, the risk of infections flaring up again is on everyone’s mind. A second spike, however, can be averted if we act “in the proper way,” says Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US infectious disease expert.

That proper approach should be a no-brainer by now: face masks, hand washing, social distancing, testing and tracing. As New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said yesterday, “discipline matters.”

That message is not lost on Chinese health officials. They are racing to stop a potential second wave after 43 coronavirus cases popped up in Beijing, which had not seen new infections in 56 days.

Talk of a second wave may give the impression that the first wave is over. But that’s far from true. The number of global cases is rising faster than ever, with more than 100,000 new cases recorded during 20 of the past 21 days.

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED

Q: My gym is reopening. How can I use it safely?

A: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidelines for social distancing in places where that may be difficult. Here’s what it says about gyms:

• Wipe down machines and equipment with disinfecting wipes and use hand sanitizer
• Know that locker rooms might only be open so people can use the toilets and sinks
• Wear a mask during low-intensity workouts
• Consider doing any vigorous exercise outside
• Don’t share items like resistance bands or weight belts, as these are not cleaned or disinfected between each use
• No high-fives or elbow bumps
• Limit your number of group fitness classes

Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you’re facing: +1 347-322-0415.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY

Some families have been kept apart. These families are still waiting to meet

A surrogate mother in Ghana gave birth to Vernice on March 23. But the pandemic has postponed the plans the baby’s American parents had for her.

Families across the world have experienced similar delays. In many countries, social distancing restrictions have shuttered courtrooms and clinics. And travel bans have hampered reunions with surrogate mothers and the transferral of children between households, reports Emma Reynolds.

Rio de Janeiro drug gangs push social distancing

In some of Rio’s poorest and most socially isolated communities, young drug dealers — not state medical personnel — are trying to control the coronavirus.

Besides peddling drugs, the gangs who run the favelas on the city’s edges are also enforcing social distancing and curfews, as coronavirus cases in Brazil continue to surge. The drug gangs are also handing out food to the neediest residents.

“Horrific scenes” as India reports another record spike

Lacking basic medical equipment, some New Delhi hospitals are struggling to cope with the growing epidemic.

India’s Supreme Court recently blasted health authorities in the capital for the “pathetic” conditions and “improper care” of coronavirus patients. The court described “horrific scenes” from Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash hospital, including reports of dead bodies remaining in wards alongside patients, and families not being told of the deaths of relatives.

India has recorded 11,929 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to more than 320,000. Earlier this week, India surpassed the United Kingdom and is now the fourth-highest affected country, behind the US, Brazil and Russia.

Reinvention in the Rust Belt

Jose Rivera had spent most of his life in and out of prison, until he was released last summer after a 13-year sentence. He was trying to rebuild his life in Allentown, Pennsylvania, when the pandemic hit.

Suddenly, he found himself volunteering alongside former gang members who had been his rivals, handing out diapers and formula milk to struggling families. His service is a personal form of amends, as he puts it, for the harm his younger self had inflicted on the neighborhood. Inara Verzemnieks reports from Allentown, Pennsylvania, which is also trying to rebuild amid the pandemic.

ON OUR RADAR

• US Vice President Mike Pence yesterday touted the country’s “steady decline” in coronavirus hospitalizations and fatalities, despite data showing that several states have seen a rise in Covid-19 patients since the Memorial Day holiday.
• Britain’s Prince Harry said Private Joseph Hammond, the 95-year-old Ghanaian man who walked 14 miles to raise money for frontline health workers in Africa, “brought a huge smile” to his face.
• US trade adviser Peter Navarro says the White House is targeting another stimulus package focused on manufacturing that will be “at least $2 trillion.”
• Summer travel is back. But rather than taking elaborate international vacations, people are renting home shares and taking RVs to explore the wide open road.
• The UK is “urgently” reviewing the two-meter (six feet) social distancing rule put in place to control the spread of coronavirus.
• C is for covering your face, A is for staying six feet apart, R for remembering to wash your hands, and E means it’s everyone’s job to help others. The latest CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall tackled issues including summer safety and play dates.
• Chile’s health minister, Jaime Mañalich, has been sacked following a series of controversies and a spike in coronavirus cases. His departure comes a day after an investigative report revealed a discrepancy between Chile’s official numbers and those reported by the health ministry to the World Health Organization.
• Bruno Covas, the mayor of Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo, tested positive for coronavirus yesterday. The state of São Paulo is the epicenter of Brazil’s outbreak.

TOP TIPS

Canceled soccer practices. Shuttered dance rehearsals. With worldwide lockdowns to prevent the spread of coronavirus, children around the world are stuck at home, slipping into more video game playing, more television watching and more sitting around — which could put them at risk of becoming overweight or obese.

So here are some tips on how kids can keep their minds and bodies active while cooped up inside — from Olympic gold-medal gymnasts Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez.