12 things to know today about coronavirus

Welcome to The Hill’s daily roundup of coronavirus news.

Nearly 1.7 million Americans have been infected with COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University data. More than 98,700 people have died.

States are moving ahead with lifting even more coronavirus-related restrictions even as the number of cases rise. Locally, Northern Virginia counties and Washington, D.C., are both on track to lift their stay-at-home orders by this weekend.

But the numbers show a troubling story. Maryland and West Virginia showed week-over-week case increases, and Virginia has lagged far behind in testing capacity. Maryland and Virginia have lifted restrictions in the past week, while West Virginia last week pushed ahead with the most aggressive step of the state’s reopening strategy, allowing indoor restaurants, malls, tanning salons and other businesses. Those three states, plus Washington, D.C., and Delaware account for just 3 percent of the population, but 6.6 percent of the new cases.

Here are 12 things for you to know today.

From the administration:

• Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said he believes the U.S. has “overreacted a little bit” to the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that Americans can get back to work sooner rather than later if they observe social distancing and wear masks. Brett Samuels reports.
• White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said he doesn’t think that the $600-per-week boost to unemployment benefits will be extended in the next coronavirus relief bill. Naomi Jagoda has more.

In Congress:

• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said during an event in Kentucky that there would “likely” be a fifth coronavirus relief bill “in the next month or so.” Read Jordain Carney for the full story.
• Bipartisan anti-lobbying activists have introduced competing bills to prevent lobbying groups accessing emergency loans meant for small businesses struggling during the pandemic. John Bowden has more.

In the states:

• Northern Virginia can begin reopening Friday, and face masks will be required inside businesses and public transportation throughout the state, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced. Kaelan Deese has more info.
• The University of Colorado at Boulder announced that new students will live and attend classes together in groups of 10 in the fall to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Zack Budryk reports.
• Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb pointed to an uptick in hospitalizations in several states and linked the trend to reopenings as people interact more. Peter Sullivan reports.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said 47 of the state’s 58 counties can reopen barbershops and hair salons, although Los Angeles County, its highest-populated, is not among them. Zack has more on the announcement.
• D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city could begin reopening on Friday if it completes one more day of a decline in community transmission of the virus. Justine Coleman reports.
• More Americans say they are getting takeout from restaurants and are using curbside pickup from stores, according to a new Gallup poll. Forty-four percent of respondents said they had picked up takeout in the past week, up from 26 percent in late March and early April. Read more here.  

Elsewhere:

• Another potential vaccine in the mix: Merck is partnering with research nonprofit IAVI to develop a coronavirus vaccine, with clinical trials beginning by the end of this year, the partners announced. Rebecca Klar reports.
• The majority of doctors and nurses who contracted mild cases of COVID-19 while working at the front lines of the pandemic developed antibodies to ward off the disease, a new French study shows. Marty Johnson reports.

Reid Wilson contributed