Afternoon News Update, 10/22/20

By Sophia Lyons

From around campus, the football game versus Arkansas State will have fans in Kidd Brewer Stadium tonight. The Appalachian reports 2,100 will be allowed in the stadium in response to Governor Roy Cooper’s executive order allowing stadiums to open at significantly reduced capacities. Tickets have been distributed between 650 Yosef Club members, 450 App State and visiting team’s family members, 200 “other ticket allotments” and 800 students, chosen by lottery.

In state news, more than 30% of registered voters in North Carolina have cast their votes so far in the 2020 election. The Appalachian reports nearly 2.2 million people have voted in North Carolina so far, totaling votes cast in person and mail-in ballots already received. That’s 1.3 million more votes cast than the 700,000 cast on this day of early voting in 2016; in that election, just under 69% of registered voters in North Carolina voted.

From national news, using mouthwash will not inactivate the novel coronavirus or help curb its spread, the New York Times cautions. A new study found dousing coronaviruses like the common cold can incapacitate them, but it won’t help prevent getting or spreading the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19. However, because the study didn’t include any human volunteers, its results have limited value for the real world, and other researchers are looking at handwashing, disinfection and more as related to the novel coronavirus.