Legitimate questions about the virus created perfect conditions for conspiracy theories. COVID CLAIM: Boyle says the coronavirus is a genetically engineered bioweapon that escaped from a high-level lab in Wuhan, China. COVID CLAIM: Nikulin argues the U.S. created the virus and used it to attack China. He first voiced the belief in a Jan. 20, 2020, story by Zvezda, a state media outlet tied to the Russian military. EVIDENCE: There is no evidence that the U.S. created the virus or used it as a weapon to attack Iran.

In this Nov. 15, 2018 file photo, U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, walks to a session during member-elect briefings and orientation on Capitol Hill in Washington. AUSTIN, Texas – Republican Rep. Ron Wright of Texas, who had lung cancer and was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19 last month, has died, his office said Monday. Wright announced shortly after being sworn in for a new term that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Wright had said he tested positive for COVID-19 after coming into contact with an infected person, and he described his early symptoms as minor and said he would quarantine. Another Texas member of Congress, Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, also announced that she had tested positive around that time.

Citing health and economic concerns, FAMU canceled its plans to play any football in the 2020-21 school year. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference had released its spring football schedule last month featuring a six-game regular season. Unlike the larger universities, FAMU doesn’t have the TV and multimedia contracts that could have made a spring season safe and economically viable. “I mean it’s very clear, had we played spring football, our football program, in particular, would have operated at a loss,” said Gosha. In addition to football, FAMU also canceled spring season for indoor track and field and volleyball.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Florida reported an additional 3,815 cases of COVID-19 in data released Friday by the state health department. That brought the states average of daily case increases over the last week to just over 3,200 a day. As of Thursday, Floridas daily average in reported deaths over the past week was 118, which is third in the nation behind Texas at 178 and California at 126. In Fridays data, Florida reported 88 additional deaths, including two in Duval County and two in Nassau County. One of the Duval County deaths added Friday was a 48-year-old man; the other was an 83-year-old woman.

Among those, Northeast Florida counties have reported 28 deaths since Sunday. The 11 counties News4Jax has been tracking through the pandemic have now reported a total of 524 COVID-19 related deaths. Three more Jacksonville women -- ages 61, 77 and 99 -- were added to Duval Countys death total in Thursdays state data. Statewide, the Florida Department of Health reported another 139 deaths of residents and non-residents in data released Thursday. The states daily total peaked July 15 when more than 15,000 cases were reported, but has been declining ever since.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Florida continues to report high numbers of deaths related to COVID-19 even as the daily case increases remain lower than they were during the states July peak, just as health experts predicted. Florida reported another 155 deaths of residents and non-residents in Wednesdays data released by the state health department. The 3,220 new cases reported Wednesday remains a fraction of the daily increases Florida was experiencing one month ago. The state has reported 10,872 deaths since the pandemic began appearing in Florida at the beginning of March. Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, breathing trouble, sore throat, muscle pain, and loss of taste or smell.

A dozen of the 183 deaths the Department of Health reported Tuesday were from Northeast Florida counties. The Department of Health reported 2,573 new cases of COVID-19 in the state Tuesday. There were only 74 new cases in Jacksonville -- the lowest daily number since June 15 -- but eight additional deaths were reported. Clay County reported 44 new cases but two more deaths. The state has reported 10,717 deaths since the pandemic began appearing in Florida at the beginning of March.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Floridas cases of coronavirus continue to grow, but at a slower pace than they had since early this summer. The Department of Health reported 2,258 new cases of COVID-19 in the state on Monday and 72 deaths, including one each in Clay and St. Johns counties. Florida reported 2,258 new cases on Sunday, only the third time since June 15 that fewer than 2,500 new cases were n tallied in a day. The daily total peaked July 15 when more than 15,000 cases were reported, but has been declining since. Deaths from COVID-19 usually occur two weeks or more after diagnosis, so epidemiologists have said Floridas fatality rate should shrink in the coming weeks if confirmed infections continue to shrink.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Its been 117 days since visitors have been allowed inside long-term care facilities, like nursing homes, to see their loved ones. The measure also extended the ban on visitors for the same amount of time. The ban to visit loved ones has continued for over 100 days in the state of Florida. Let us visit, care, and advocate for our loved ones now.As of 6 a.m., the petition has more than 300 signatures. It directs nursing homes to significantly restrict visitors and nonessential personnel, as well as restrict communal activities inside nursing homes.