After a summer of coronavirus cases rocketing in the United States, the country is beginning to see a shift as it reports less than 50,000 new cases a day for an entire week.
While there are sad stories coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are also many positive ones. AccuWeather's Lincoln Riddle takes a look at a few of them.
Here are the latest updates, listed in eastern time, and the most important things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic.
Mail-in voting has been expanded in New York after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed new legislation that would widen the number of voters who can send in their ballots from home during the pandemic. According to UPI, the new legislation aims to protect the health of New Yorkers as the pandemic persists. The legislation allows for any person who is concerned about COVID-19 to request a mail-in ballot, allow mail-in ballots to be requested from the Board of Elections and ensures all absentee ballots postmarked on or before election day will be included in the count so long as they arrive by Nov. 10. In April, a poll released by Gallup indicated that 70% of Americans would prefer if all registered voters had the option to vote by mail. "The federal administration has ordered an unprecedented attack on the U.S. Postal Service and with COVID-19 threatening our ability to have safe, in-person voting, these measures are critical to ensuring a successful and fair election at one of the most important moments in our nation's history," Cuomo said. ”These actions will further break down barriers to democracy and will make it easier for all New Yorkers to exercise their right to vote this November."
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 23,219,390
Fatalities: 804,697
Recoveries: 14,937,224
After a surge in cases over the summer, the U.S. reported around 48,700 new coronavirus cases on Friday, making it the seventh consecutive day where nationwide new cases were under 50,000. In total, the U.S. now has more than 5.6 million cases across the country and has reported over 800,000 deaths relating to the virus. "I think we're seeing progress over the last four weeks, I hope that progress will continue, but I think none of us should turn away from the recognition that it's key each of us recognize we want to make sure COVID stops with us," CDC Director Robert Redfield said, according to CNBC News.
Photo by: John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx 2020 8/20/20 Two women wearing masks enjoys the weather in front of the fountain at Washington Square Park as New York City continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on August 20, 2020 in New York City. The fourth phase allows outdoor arts and entertainment, sporting events without fans and media production.
Researchers in Germany are trying to determine how the coronavirus will spread in concert environments -- by hosting their own pop-up concert. The experiment included over 1,500 people and was conducted by the University Hospital in Halle. Each person had to take a coronavirus test and test negative prior to being included in the study. Volunteers wore contact tracers through the evening that tracked not only their routes but also the path aerosols they emitted traveled through the night. The concert attendees stayed close together in order to properly emulate how a concert prior to the pandemic would have played out. The results of the study will be available in four to six weeks, NBC News reported.
One person has died from a coronavirus outbreak traced back to a wedding in Maine. The unnamed person who died, who was admitted to Millinocket Regional Hospital, was among 53 positive cases that were linked to the wedding. "Our hearts go out to everyone in our community who is affected by this loss," the hospital said about the death, according to CBS News. Officials in the state also addressed the death. "Maine CDC expresses condolences to the individual's family and loved ones," officials said. Maine CDC is still investigating the incident, as it is the first outbreak in the state directly linked to a social gathering. Maine CDC is in contact with the Big Moose Inn in Millinocket, where the wedding was held, in order to learn more details of the nature of the event.
Officials in Stillwater, Oklahoma, are on edge this weekend as a three-day music festival kicks off despite concerns of COVID-19. The annual Weedstock Festival, located 62 miles west of Tulsa, will feature three days of live music at the Tumbleweed Dance Hall. According to NBC News, the dance hall released a recorded message that said "we are committed to following the CDC guidelines" in regards to social distancing, masks and hygiene. "Do your part in keeping others and yourself safe,” the dance hall said. Parker McCollum, a singer who was originally scheduled to headline the festival, canceled his performance on Wednesday after contracting COVID-19 himself. "After realizing this morning that I could not taste or smell anything at breakfast, I went to get tested for COVID and results came back showing I was positive for the virus," he said. "My deepest apologies to the fans and the venues who were counting on me to perform. I absolutely believe that the shows should go on and I wish more than anything I could be there to play them.” On Aug. 10, Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce said “it is not the right time for thousands of people to gather for a three-day music festival, but because it is being held outside of city lines he has no jurisdiction to stop it.
After infections have again spiked in South Korea, the country has issued a new lockdown. Health Minister Park Neung-hoo issued the new rules, which include that churches, nightclubs, large social gatherings and professional sports are shut down in the country. The stricter guidelines come after 332 new cases were confirmed on Saturday, Axios reported. South Korea now has over 17,000 cases, with the majority of cases in Seoul, and spreading into other major cities.
The global coronavirus death toll has reached 800,000, according to data from John Hopkins University. The US remains the country with the highest death toll. The US, Brazil, Mexico, India and the United Kingdom have the five highest death tolls recorded globally.
The Slovan Bratislava soccer team was placed under mandatory quarantine in the Faroe Islands after two players tested positive for COVID-19, Europe's soccer governing body UEFA said in a statement. The entire team had tested negative before arriving where the team was scheduled to play a Champions League qualifier against the Faroe Islands' team KI Klaksvik on Wednesday, but all players were tested again after arriving, with one testing positive, UEFA said. "Following a member of the delegation of ŠK Slovan Bratislava having returned a positive test for COVID-19, the local authorities decided to quarantine the entire ŠK Slovan Bratislava team," UEFA said. A second group of players came to represent the Slovan Bratislava soccer team in a rescheduled match, but one player in that group tested positive.
Coronavirus hospitalization rates in Los Angeles County are the lowest since April, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced in a press conference. A total of 420 coronavirus patients are in intensive care units throughout the county which Garcetti said is a “substantial decrease since last month.” The county currently has about 250 to 300 cases per 100,000 residents. According to the mayor, elementary schools can apply for waivers for in-person learning if cases fall below 200 for every 100,000 residents. “Let’s keep those numbers in mind. Let’s push towards those goals for our children, for our economy, for our wellbeing, and for our health,” Garcetti said.
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 22,969,090
Fatalities: 799,632
Recoveries: 14,725,753
Europe’s economic rebound has been halted by the resurge of coronavirus cases. According to The Associated Press, the rise in new cases across Europe has led to shoppers and travelers becoming more cautious, resulting in an economic lull. A survey also found that companies are continuing to cut jobs for the sixth month in a row. Florian Hense, an economist at Berenberg Bank, said the uncertainties surrounding new cases will likely lead to a slow recovery for the continents economy. “Governments should seriously consider to prolong, or at least phase out only slowly, furlough schemes that end this autumn,” Florian Hense said. “Otherwise the hit to employment and income could trigger a double-dip recession.”
COVID-19-related deaths in the United States surpassed 175,000 on Friday. The U.S. so far has reported over 5.6 million cases, totaling higher than any other country in the world. The U.S. has also reported the most deaths in the world, now reaching 175,245, according to Johns Hopkins University. In a list from John Hopkins University of the 20 nations currently most affected by COVID-19 worldwide, the U.S. is ranked as fifth in deaths per 100,000 population at 53.26 deaths per 100,000 people, behind Brazil, Chile, Spain and Peru. In that same list, the U.S. ranks ranks 12th in observed case-fatality ratio at 3.1%.
The remainder of the Subway Series between The New York Yankees and The New York Mets has been called off after Friday’s opening game was postponed. The series was called off entirely due to two positive tests from the Mets organization — one being a player. Major League Baseball announced the series would be postponed "out of an abundance of caution,” according to ESPN. The MLB has now postponed 36 games this season due to positive coronavirus tests.
Brazil’s prisons are facing a dangerous predicament as the spread of COVID-19 is carrying over to inmates. Brazil houses the third largest prison population in the world, following the United States and China, according to AFP. Their population of almost 750,000 inmates massively overpopulates the country’s official capacity of 440,000. The country also has the worlds second largest amount of coronavirus infections with 3.5 million confirmed cases, again following the United States, which has over 5.6 million cases. “I’m afraid of losing my husband inside. There's never been adequate medical care, and now the worry is even worse because we're dealing with an invisible enemy," the wife of a Sao Paulo inmate said, who asked to remain anonymous.
A survey conducted by a Japanese think tank found that more than half of Japanese companies think the Tokyo Olympics should be postponed further or canceled due to the spread of the coronavirus around the world. Roughly 13,000 Japanese companies responded to the poll conducted by Tokyo Shoko Research, the results showed that 27.8% believe the event should be canceled outright and 25.8% believe another postponement was 'desirable.' A state of emergency for the country was lifted in late May as cases continued to decline, but a recent increase of cases started in July. With no end in sight for the virus, companies remain divided on the olympics being held in 2021. Only 22.5% of responses said they believe the games should be held as planned.
South Korea reported its highest number of new COVID-19 infections since early March, as an ongoing surge of infections continues in the capital of Seoul. The 324 new infections reported on Friday mark the eighth consecutive triple-digit daily increase in cases, according to The Associated Press. Most of the cases reported came from Seoul, where health workers are scrambling to track transmission and treat all of the infected patients at hospitals. Other major cities across the country including Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon, Sejong and Daegu, also reported new cases on Friday. The new figures reported by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and prevention brought the total number of cases to 16,670, with a death toll of 309.
A survey conducted by a Japanese think tank found that more than half of Japanese companies think the 2021 Tokyo Olympics should be postponed further or canceled due to the spread of the coronavirus around the world. Roughly 13,000 Japanese companies responded to the poll conducted by Tokyo Shoko Research, and results showed that 27.8% believe the event should be canceled outright and 25.8% believe another postponement was 'desirable.' A state of emergency for the country was lifted in late May as cases continued to decline, but a recent increase of cases was reported in July, according to Reuters. With no end in sight for the virus, companies remain divided on next year's Summer Games. Only 22.5% of responses said they believe the games should be held as planned.
A tugboat moves a symbol installed for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 on a barge moved away from its usual spot off the Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Thanks in part to an increase in testing, coronavirus cases in Missouri prisons spiked 50% this month, according to The Associated Press. The AP, citing the St. Louis Post Dispatch, said there have been 333 new cases among prisoners in August. Previously, a cumulative total of 661 cases were reported across the state's prison system. Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann told The AP that all inmates and staff have been tested for COVID-19 at least once, while adding that many patients were asymptomatic. Overall, Missouri has a total of more than 71,700 cases.
Winemakers in France’s Champagne region are suffering the consequences of the pandemic, as demand for bubbly has decreased. “We make the wine of happiness, and when people are sad, like during the lockdown, sales of champagne tend to collapse,” Vincent Leglantier, a 34-year-old wine grower in Bethon, France, told Reuters. At the Brun de Neuville vineyard collective, where Leglantier works, teams of pickers usually gather every year on harvest season to collect grapes. However, this year is a little different, as sales are sharply down due to the decrease of social gatherings -- such as weddings and parties -- that usually drive the majority of the sales for champagne. For this reason, French champagne producers decided to put a cap on the amount of grapes they send for processing into wine this month from a hectare to 8,000 kg, in an attempt to reduce product waste. “You could say it’s maybe the best of the bad deals we could have reached,” Damien Champy, head of Brun de Neuville vineyard cooperative, said.
Many retailers including Target and Best Buy have moved their winter holiday promotions to as early as early October to try and avoid a shipping crunch caused by the coronavirus, according to Reuters. Logistics firms are urging retailers to pace promotions instead of all at once in order to 'ease the crush.' Scott Sureddin, DHL Supply Chain CEO for North America, told Reuters that, “It can’t be a blitz of every single you product you have online. Let’s pick and choose.” Walmart joined other retailers in announcing plans to skip Black Friday door-buster sales and while also saying they would close for Thanksgiving due to the pandemic. Ecommerce is expected to reach record levels of demand in the U.S. this year, according to eMarketer, causing retailers to look for every opportunity to wring out costs. However, some warn that starting holiday promotions early may cause shoppers to suffer holiday fatigue. Walmart, Kohl's and Target announced earlier this week that back-to-school shopping was slow and choppy as the coronavirus caused uncertainty in schools across the nation.
Photo by: STRF/STAR MAX/IPx 2020 8/1/20 Businesses are seen in Manhattan during the Phase 4 reopening.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league is likely to delay its Dec. 1 start date for the 2020-21 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I’d say Dec. 1, now that we’re working through this season, is feeling a little bit early to me,” Silver told ESPN on Thursday night. “I think our No. 1 goal is to get fans back in our arenas. … So my sense is, in working with the players’ association, if we could push back even a little longer and increase the likelihood of having fans in arenas, that’s what we would be targeting.” The NBA is currently in the midst of the first round of its playoffs down at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Since the league resumed play in late July, no players have tested positive for COVID-19.
Hawaii is now expecting tourists and residents to self-quarantine upon arrival at least Oct. 1, according to a press release from the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The announcement comes as the state has been struggling to cope with a surge of COVID-19 cases all throughout the summer, according to CNN. Back in July, Gov. David Ige announced the Pre-Travel Testing Program, which would allow all travelers to enter the state freely if they had a negative COVID-19 test taken within the past 72 hours. The program was set to start on Aug. 1, but it was later delayed to Sept 1 and it has now been announced that it won’t start until Oct. 1. According to the press release from Aug. 18, “All individuals, both residents and visitors, arriving from out-of-state to Hawaii are still subject to a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine. The start of the state’s Pre-Travel Testing Program has been delayed to Oct. 1, at the earliest.” That same day, Ige said that he has “been working with mayors of all counties to identify ways we can bring travelers back more quickly.” Some of the plans that are being discussed to relaunch tourism in the state include “geo-fencing” at hotels, as well as “travel bubbles” with other trans-Pacific countries, including Japan and Australia.
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 22,703,716
Fatalities: 794,187
Recoveries: 14,560,735
Argentina posted its most daily new cases on Thursday with 8,225 new infections recorded. The country, along with numerous other South American nations, has seen its total surge in recent weeks. Argentina has now seen a total of 320,884 cases and 6,517 deaths.
A family was kicked off a Mediterranean cruise for not following COVID-19 guidelines. The company, MSC Grandiosa, said the family left an excursion organized by the cruise to do independent sightseeing, which is against their regulations. MSC Grandiosa was the first major cruise line to return to the Mediterranean Sea after COVID-19 halted business, according to The Straits Times. "By departing from the organized shore excursion, this family broke from the safe 'social bubble' that MSC Cruises created for them to safely enjoy their visit ashore, and therefore could not be permitted to re-board the ship,” the company said. The Italian family was not allowed entry back on the ship after the rule violation. The cruise ship departed from Genoa on Sunday and was only booked at 70% capacity for passengers in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Indoor dining is set to resume in Philadelphia on Sept. 8. The city released guidelines surrounding indoor dining in preparation for the loosening restrictions. Some restrictions include:
25% capacity indoors
No bar seating
Food must be ordered along with alcohol
Servers must wear masks and face shields and customers must wear masks when not seated
In addition, groups larger than four will be split up into separate tables six feet apart. Outdoor dining guidelines will remain the same. “The City looks forward to continuing to expand allowable operations for Philadelphia’s restaurant industry, as well as reopening additional indoor businesses,” the city said in a news release.
Concerns continue to grow about kids spreading the coronavirus amid schools reopening. Across the U.S., students have began returning to schools both in person and online and new research has found that educators and families are increasingly at risk. Several studies have shown a vast majority of children who get COVID-19 get a much more mild illness than adults, according to Reuters. Early reports have suggested that there is no strong evidence that children are a major contributor to the virus. However, more recent studies are showing how contagious children who contract the virus can become. Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital said that, “Contrary to what we believed, based on the epidemiological data, kids are not spared from this pandemic." Fasano is also the author of the new study that found infected children have a significantly higher level of virus in their airways than adults who become hospitalized from COVID-19. High viral levels were found in infants through young adults. The study included 192 participants that were aged 0-22 who were seen at urgent care for suspected COVID-19. A quarter of them tested positive for the virus and 18 were included in the study after testing positive for multi-system inflammatory syndrome which is caused by COVID-19. Children can carry a high viral load which means they can be very contagious despite not developing as severe symptoms.
Cimmie Hunter, left, and Cadence Ludlow, both 6th graders, arrive at Liberty Elementary School during the first day of class Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in Murray, Utah. Murray City School District opened its doors offering its 6,300 students a choice among in-person learning, hybrid instruction and distance learning. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
More patients across the U.S. are opting for hospital-at-home treatments in order to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Amid continued risk of the coronavirus in hospitals, patients are choosing to be treated at home where they feel the most safe, The Associated Press reports. These programs are taking off due to the pandemic and have allowed doctors, nurses, X-ray techs and paramedics to use portable medical equipment to help treat people from the comfort of their own home. The services have also helped reduce the strain on medical centers and hospital beds allowing for more allocation to COVID-19 hospitalizations. Roughly 35 million people are hospitalized in the U.S. per year, and despite only a fraction of those patients using hospital at home programs, the service is booming quickly and getting boosts from Medicare and private health insurers.Research has shown that patients who used these programs over the last 25 years have recovered faster, have had fewer complications, and are more satisfied.Other benefits include the ability to get more rest in bed while sick, the ability to eat what they want, and going outside for fresh air at home.
Dr. Anthony Fauci will rest his voice after a minor operation on his vocal cord. The White House Coronavirus Task Force member, and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had surgery to remove a polyp on his vocal cord, according to CNN. Fauci has taken part in numerous briefings and interviews and has been seen as one of the most vocal members of the task force. Previously, Fauci mentioned his vocal cord issue and told the Economic Club of Washington that he probably has a polyp located there and, "the only way to get better is to keep your mouth shut," said Fauci. The procedure required general anesthesia and Fauci is now being told to rest his vocal cords for "a while" in order to recover.
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 30, 2020. (Al Drago/Pool via AP)
According to new data from Johns Hopkins University, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. are under 50,000 for the fifth day in a row. On Thursday, 46,400 new cases were reported from Wednesday night, a slight increase from the previous day. However, the data also showed that an additional 1,300 deaths were reported on Wednesday, and 1,300 patients also died on Tuesday. These numbers indicate an increase in the death toll when compared to the previous month, as an average of 800 deaths were reported daily in July. Currently, the U.S. has reported a total of 5.5 million cases since the start of the pandemic, with a death toll of 173,200.
The amount of people who filed for unemployment last week was greater than expected, and brought numbers over 1 million, just one week after dipping below the seven-figure mark for the first time in 21 weeks. Concerns are now being raised about the current state of the economy while lawmakers struggle with approving a new stimulus package, according to CNBC. Economists that were polled by Dow Jones resulted in an expected total of 923,000 unemployment claims. However, initial jobless claims for the week ending Aug. 15 were reported at over 1.1 million.
The World Health Organization has begun talks with Russia to gather more information about the COVID-19 vaccine recently approved by the country. Russia became the first country in the world to license a coronavirus vaccine even though the vaccine has not passed advanced trials that are normally required. The advanced trials are done to prove the vaccine works before being licensed and opting out of it is a major breach of scientific protocol, according to the Associated Press. Senior emergency official at WHO Europe, Catherine Smallwood, said direct discussions have begun with Russia and the various steps and information required by the WHO to take assessments, have been shared with the country. "This concern that we have around safety and efficacy is not specifically for the Russia vaccine, it’s for all of the vaccines under development,” said Smallwood. She also urged that it is essential to not cut corners in safety or efficacy in finding a vaccine. The only way to determine if a vaccine works or not is through the advanced trials in tens and thousands of people, scientists say.
As the coronavirus continues to affect countries worldwide, a debate has been reignited in Germany about cutting the working week to four days in attempts to preserve jobs during and after the economic shock caused by the pandemic. The idea was brought back up by Joerg Hofmann, the president of Germany’s powerful metalworkers union IG Metall, who proposed it as a measure to decrease the rising levels of unemployment. However, it still remains a controversial topic. Before the pandemic, the rate of unemployment in Germany was around 5%, and it climbed to 6.4% by late July, prompting worry for the future of the country’s economy. German Labor Minister Hurbertus Heil, a member of the center-left Social Democrats, expressed interest in implementing a four-day work week. “Reduced hours with some wage compensation may be an appropriate measure,” he said, according to AFP. The idea is that by reducing working hours for current workers -- without reducing their salary -- more job opportunities will be created. But employers are skeptic on the implementation of the new measure, as they claim that switching to a shorter week will only worsen “the enormous productivity shock” that is being suffered at the moment due to the pandemic, according to Steffen Kampeter, director of the employers’ federation BDA.
AMC Theatres and other cinema chains across major cities in the U.S. will reopen this week, offering tickets and popcorn at a discounted price in hopes of bringing audiences back to the movies. Although cinemas will remain closed in some parts of the country, such as Los Angeles and New York, AMC will reopen its theaters in other cities, including Atlanta and Chicago. In addition to the discounted prices, theater chains also plan to implement the required health guidelines, to make sure that their audiences remain safe. “We put a lot of effort, not only on us (but) also our competition, in really creating a safe environment,” Cineworld Chief Executive Mooky Greidinger said, according to Reuters. “At the end of the day, it’s a much safer environment than any other places that are already open. You sit in the same seat for two hours. Everybody is facing the screen, so nobody is looking at one another.” Movie theater chains have been suffering the economic consequences of the pandemic, as they were forced to shut down roughly five months ago. To entice their audience to come back, AMC is offering 15-cent admissions on reopening day. Regal and AMC are also offering $5 screenings of past hits such as “Back to the Future” and Black Panther.” Watch the video below for more.
COVID-19 cases in South Korea are back in “full swing” after members of a church attended a political demonstration on Aug. 15, according to local authorities. On Wednesday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 288 new cases, marking an entire week of triple-digit daily increases. “This is a grave situation that could possibly lead to a nationwide pandemic,” Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told a briefing, according to Reuters. South Korea was one of the first countries outside of China to experience an outbreak of the virus but had since brought infections under control. That is until last week, when a far-right preacher ran a protest that lead to hundreds of infections among members of his church in Seoul. KCDC deputy director Kwon Jun-wook said the protest served as a “catalyst” for the nationwide outbreak, as churchgoers traveled from various parts of the country to attend. As of Wednesday, South Korea has reported a total of 16,346 coronavirus infections and 307 deaths, and Kwon is urging everyone to follow the CDC's safety guidelines in order to keep the number of infections from further increasing. “Please do not make physical contact. Exchange nods instead of handshakes,” Kwon said. “Refrain from physical contact such as hugging.”
A medical worker takes samples from a police officer during COVID-19 testing at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Airlines across the U.S. are making difficult decisions to try to cut costs as the demand for air travel remains low. On Thursday, American Airlines announced that it would suspend flights to 15 airports in the U.S. starting in October. The list of cities includes New Haven, Connecticut; Greenville, North Carolina; Sioux City, Iowa and Springfield, Illinois, Reuters said. This will lead to more than 700 flight cancelations, which will begin on Oct. 7. “This is the first step as American continues to evaluate its network and plans for additional schedule changes in the coming weeks,” American Airlines said in a statement. It is unclear how long flights will be suspended at these locations.
Airbnb is limiting the size of house parties at its rental properties around the world as it tries to follow coronavirus-related guidelines on capacity. According to The Associated Press, the company said it will limit occupancy in homes to 16 people, although exceptions could be granted to businesses such as boutique hotels or other venues. Airbnb hosts who violate the ban could potentially face legal action. Due to the closure of bars and nightclubs during the pandemic, people have been renting homes on Airbnb and using them to hold large house parties, according to The AP. “We do not want that type of business, and anyone engaged in or allowing that behavior does not belong on our platform,” Airbnb said.
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 22,427,939
Fatalities: 788,030
Recoveries: 14,349,473
India has quickly become one of the most concerning hot spots in the world for climbing infection totals. On Wednesday, the spike continued for the country as its reached a new high for daily cases reported, with 69,672 new infections. Brazil, one of the only two countries with more total cases than India, has never reported a day with more than 69,074 new cases. The United States, with the most cases, has topped that daily mark on three occasions.
Massachusetts announced the state will now require all schoolchildren to get influenza vaccines to stay enrolled in public schools and daycares, making it the first state to require flu shots for children over the age of 5. Students are expected to get their flu vaccine by Dec. 31, 2020, although exemptions will be made for medical or religious reasons, the state said. “The new vaccine requirement is an important step to reduce flu-related illness and the overall impact of respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said in a statement on Wednesday. Most states require that children get the 16 recommended childhood vaccines to attend public schools, but the influenza vaccine has been an exception. “Students will be expected to have received a flu vaccine by December 31, 2020 for the 2020-2021 influenza season, unless either a medical or religious exemption is provided,” the Massachusetts health department said. “Also exempted are K-12 students who are homeschooled and higher education students who are completely off-campus and engaged in remote learning only," the department continued. The CDC estimates that 600 children died of flu during the 2017-2018 flu season, according to CNN. “Every year, thousands of people of all ages are affected by influenza, leading to many hospitalizations and deaths,” Dr. Larry Madoff, medical director of the state’s Bureau of Infectious Disease, said in a statement.
On Wednesday experts from Duke University shared advice on how to prepare for the possibility of facing a hurricane during a pandemic. When it comes to storm preparedness, communities should be “thinking about ways of incorporating COVID-specific level care and planning for the logistics of that,” Dr. Cameron Wolfe, associate professor of medicine at Duke Division of Infectious Diseases and an infectious disease specialist at Duke Health said. That includes things such as personal protective equipment, mobile testing capacity for places like storm shelters as well as the mental health and emotional impact of living in a hurricane-prone place. Dr. Andrew Godfrey, an emergency medicine specialist at Duke Health and a medical instructor in the Department of Surgery at Duke University School of Health, said that people should take the time to make plans for hurricanes and storms while things are calmer. “What their plan would be if they were ordered to evacuate or if they needed to leave, and to try to pre-plan a little bit, as much as possible, given the constraints of COVID,” Godfrey said. “I think the layering of COVID on top of this has really got people, pretty much, you know at their wits’ ends in terms of trying to anticipate uncertainty and consequence,” Lisa Campbell, a professor of marine affairs and policy at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment said, according to CNN. Campbell stressed that places like schools and employers should be attentive to the levels of stress that people are dealing with because of this double layer.
This fall Southwest Airlines plans on trimming back on the number of flights the airline will offer. Southwest announced the number of available seats will drop by 40% in September compared to the same time in 2019. Previously, the Dallas-based carrier predicted capacity would only drop around 25%. Southwest also expects October capacity to be reduced by 40-50% as well. The moves are in response to booking trends and inconsistent passenger demand, according to the filing on Wednesday. The airline company anticipated revenue will fall around 75% from August 2019. Southwest previously forecast a drop of as much as 80%, according to Fox 40.
Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) fall learning plan, which includes full days of remote instruction, causes the Chicago Teachers Union to file a grievance, as union President Jesse Sharkey says the plan was made “without imagination or input from teachers.”Under the new framework for instruction in the fall, all students in kindergarten through 12th grade will receive at least three hours of live instruction from their teachers. In addition, they will also be paired up in groups to perform daily activities with their fellow classmates through independent learning. The district expects all students to “be engaged” throughout the day, Monday through Friday, and attendance and graded assignments are mandatory.
However, teachers worry that the new plan is not well thought-out, as it was planned last minute, after CPS’s plan to deliver a hybrid of in-person and remote learning was deemed as too risky. “Mayor Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools were trying their best to have in-person, classroom instruction to start the year, and it is clear that their energy went into designing and selling the hybrid school plan,” Sharkey said. Sharkey then added that teachers don’t have the tools that are required to successfully deliver remote learning to their students, and the union is asking CPS to “to provide educators and students with the infrastructure necessary to conduct remote learning, and the increase of professional development time to allow training and collaboration with parents, caregivers and students on remote learning best practices.” The aim of teachers is to ensure that all students have access to the necessary tools, such as internet access and the appropriate devices that are essential for the "entirely-digital" instruction.
On Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio reported that only 0.24% of New York City residents tested positive for COVID-19 in the latest round of tests, marking a new low in the rate of infection."This would have been unimaginable just a few months ago, and we still have work to do, but we're beating this pandemic back because of YOU," de Blasio shared on Twitter. The announcement comes as Gov. Cuomo shared that COVID-19 infection rates in New York State have been below 1% for 12 days in a row. “Right now, New York has one of the lowest infection rates in the country, and New York State’s regions and New York City’s boroughs are all basically consistent, so on all the numbers it’s good news, and I congratulate New Yorkers for doing what people said couldn’t be done,” Cuomo said.
Fourteen students at Drake University were removed from its Des Moines campus for two weeks due to violations of the coronavirus safety and prevention guidelines. The private school asks all of its undergraduate students to sign a contract in which they agree to follow specific safety guidelines, which include social distancing, self-monitoring for symptoms and wearing face covering inside all campus buildings. Students who violate the agreement will be asked to leave campus and could even risk expulsion from the institution. “I want to be crystal clear: We are serious, and we will not hesitate to take the necessary actions to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19,” Drake University Dean of Students Jerry Parker wrote in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
Medication costs for COVID-19 patients at hospitals across the country have significantly decreased since May, due to advances in treatment, shorter stays and use of cheaper, more generic drugs.According to Reuters, research by the health data firm IllumiCare shows that hospital spending per patient decreased from $3,011 in May to $1,090 in July, in 50 hospitals across 10 states. Pharmacists added that the decrease in medications may also stem from reduced use of ventilators, which usually require painkillers for sedation purposes. “We were throwing the kitchen sink at these patients and now hospitals are getting better at treating these infections,” G.T. LaBorde, chief executive of IllumiCare, told Reuters.
However, the cost might start to increase again as hospitals start to pay for Remdesivir, a potential drug produced by Gilead Sciences Inc., that helps speed up recovery time for COVID-19 patients. Although the drug had been given to hospitals for free since May, the company has begun charging an average of $3,120 per treatment course and $2,340 for patients on Medicare. Another medication that could cause an increase in medicine expenses for hospitals is Tocilizumab, a drug that is used to treat arthritis. The average price for the Tocilizumab is $2,200 per patient, and hospital use for the drug increased by 29% among COVID-19 patients in July, as compared to the previous month.
A student at Westmoore High School, in south Oklahoma City, knowingly went to class with the coronavirus on the first day of school, according to Oklahoma school officials. The student was “under the understanding that since they were asymptomatic … they did not need to quarantine for the full 14-day-period,” school officials told NBC affiliate KFOR on Friday. Although the Moore Public School District has yet to comment on the situation, a letter sent to parents states that school nurses have “completed tracing within our school to identify students and staff who may have been potentially exposed to the virus through close contact.” Moore schools also announced that another student has tested positive for the virus and that the 22 students that had come in close contact with the two infected students are now being asked to quarantine for two weeks. “We will do absolutely everything within our power to safeguard and protect our students and our staff,” Dawn Jones, a school spokesperson, told KFOR.
The university announced that spectators will be allowed at upcoming football games at Bryant-Denny Stadium. However, only 20% of the stadium can be filled, which means that approximately 20,000 fans will be allowed in. Additionally, the university says it plans to comply with the state and the CDC’S regulations to ensure everyone’s safety. Earlier this week, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), had declared that its members schools could choose whether they wanted to allow spectators during games or not. The Crimson Tide is set to start its 2020 season at home, as it plays against Texas A&M on Oct. 3.
The 51st Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race will be held virtually for the first time ever. The race, which takes place on July 4 each year, had already been pushed back to Thanksgiving Day, due to the spike of coronavirus cases in Georgia. However, further changes had to be made as cases continue to increase. According to a statement released by the Atlanta Track Club on Wednesday, the race will still be held on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, but this time it won't be held in person. Participants will be able to complete the race between the hours of 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. “Atlanta Track Club will deliver a virtual experience worthy of the Peachtree name to ensure that runners and walkers feel the community, camaraderie and competition of the world’s largest 10K,” said Rich Kenah, Executive Director of Atlanta Track Club and Race Director of the AJC Peachtree Road Race. “As coronavirus has spiked in recent weeks here in Georgia, we recognize that this decision is the best and only responsible way forward.” Registration for the race will open on Aug. 3 on a first come, first served basis, and it will remain open until the event sells out at its 60,000-person capacity.
Just eight days into the fall semester, Notre Dame suspended in-person classes for two weeks, after 146 students and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. The suspension, which was announced on Tuesday, is effective as of Wednesday. “The virus is a formidable foe,” Notre Dame University President Father John Jenkins said in a news release, according to NBC News. “For the past week, it has been winning. Let us as the Fighting Irish join together and contain it.” Officials reported that most of the students who contracted the virus were seniors living off-campus, who attended social gatherings where social distancing rules were not implemented.
Other schools that have announced similar measures are Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, as both have switched to remote learning for the fall semester. “Many students, graduate workers, staff, some faculty members and even local county health department warned that this was going to happen,” said Lamar Richards, a student chairperson on the Commission on Campus Equality and Student Equity at UNC.
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 22,161,889
Fatalities: 781,520
Recoveries: 14,131,798
On Tuesday, the United States recorded 44,813 new cases, marking the fourth straight day with fewer than 50,000 cases. While the daily numbers have not yet decreased to the 20,000-30,000 range that they were in during early June, before the second surge, it appears state's efforts may be starting to come to fruition. However, many officials and citizens worry that the return of students to schools in the coming weeks will only deliver another surge.
France is now mandating masks in all workplaces as the country tries to contain COVID-19 while avoiding shutting down the economy. As of Sept. 1, masks will be required in all shared, enclosed workspaces, including open-plan or shared offices, corridors, meeting rooms, and changing rooms, according to the new government rules. This announcement makes France one of the relatively few countries in the world that’s universally requiring workers to wear masks on the job, though they’re routinely worn in many Asian countries, according to The Associated Press. “The latest scientific knowledge about the possible risk of transmission of the virus via aerosols leads us to adopt a general principle of the systematic wearing of masks in indoor, shared workspaces,” said Laurent Pietraszewski, secretary of state for worker health.
At the end of July, Americans that found themselves unemployed saw the end of the $600 weekly federal subsidy passed by Congress, but over half-a-dozen states will soon be offering a small boost in unemployment benefits. Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Louisiana, Iowa, New Mexico and Louisiana will be offering a $300 weekly increase in unemployment benefits in addition to what the states already pay, according to CNBC. These benefits may begin as soon as this week. It is unclear how long this benefit will last or what other states will approve similar measures now that the initial federal assistance expired.
One of the most popular national parks in the U.S. has stepped up testing to ensure the health and safety of both employees and visitors. Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming has been testing employees that interact with guests throughout the summer, the peak season for visitors in the world-famous wilderness. “In partnership with the states of Montana and Wyoming and surrounding counties, Yellowstone National Park has conducted nearly 1,400 employees (asymptomatic) surveillance tests since early June (346 tests in the past three weeks) on front-line employees and all test results have been negative,” the National Park Service (NPS) said in a statement on Tuesday. “No visitors have tested positive in the last four weeks in any of Yellowstone’s medical clinics,” the NPS added. Additionally, the NPS has been testing wastewater to find traces of COVID-19, but recent samples have found “non-detectable levels of COVID-19.” The park has welcomed over 1.6 million visitors since mid-May.
Some courses may be virtual, some may be in the classroom and others may even be outdoors. Outdoor classes may be common this year, as long as the weather cooperates. One professor at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will be holding class outdoors as long as possible, though temperatures in the winter often dip below freezing. "I will be teaching my environmental studies class outside whenever the weather is non-lethal," said David O'Hara, a professor who is also the university's director of sustainability. Two years ago, O'Hara worked with students to build the campus' first outdoor classroom from locally sourced slate, granite and quartzite. "I teach outdoors as often as I can," O’Hara said, according to CNN “You remember when you were a student, sitting in a classroom and staring out the window?" O'Hara asked. "I just figured, Let's go to the other side of the window."
Roughly 600,000 students and 75,000 staff members will get tested for coronavirus as part of The Los Angeles Unified School District’s plan for a widespread program as the school year formally begins this week. The program will start on Monday and will be rolled out over the next few months by the school district, said district superintendent Austin Beutner in a statement. “Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary actions, and while this testing and contact tracing effort is unprecedented, it is necessary and appropriate,” Beutner said. "This program will also provide significant educational benefits for students by getting them back to school sooner and safer and keeping them there." Last month, Los Angeles Unified announced plans to start the new school year online and must await permission from public health authorities before it can resume in-person instruction, which had ceased 5 months ago in March. “The level of new cases in Los Angeles are still 2½ times the state guidelines, and while the portion of those testing positive is below state thresholds, it’s still considerably higher than the World Health Organization standards and those in place for New York,” Beutner told the Los Angeles Times.
As people spend more time at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, they are filling their spare time with projects around the house, boosting sales for some major retailers across the U.S. On Tuesday, Home Depot posted its biggest quarterly rise in same-store sales in over two decades with sales soaring by 23.4%, according to Reuters. The higher-than-average demand for supplies such as paint, tools, gardening supplies and lawn care products contributed to the record sales. The company shared some of its second quarter profits with employees, spending nearly $500 million in additional benefits, such as weekly bonuses and overtime, Reuters said. However, sales at stores like Home Depot are not expected to maintain the same level achieved in the second quarter as they are really difficult to sustain, Wedbush Securities analyst Seth Basham said. “We will see a slowdown in the back half of the year - the question is the degree to which the slowdown occurs.”
Students across the U.S. are protesting against in-person instruction by conducting a 'die-in'. During these protests, students lie on the ground without moving to symbolize COVID-19 deaths. Most universities across the country are having students return to campus for the fall semester under a hybrid model that consists of in-person instructions. Many students feel the decision was made with money being the priority instead of the health of students, according to Campus Reform. Universities are seeing summer and fall enrollment totals plummet as the focus moves less from on-campus activities and to more virtual methods. Students at Penn State University held a "die-in" where students held gravestone signs, then laid on the ground for 14 minutes to represent the 140,000 deaths from coronavirus in the United States. Other students also held their own "die-in" such as University of North Carolina and University of Oklahoma.
Christmas is still 129 days away, but one city has already decided to change a tradition due to the coronavirus. The 93rd Annual Nashville Christmas Parade will be going virtual this year, a first in the nearly century-long tradition. The parade was scheduled to be held in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 5, but will now move to on online format where performances will be broadcast to those watching at home, WKRN said. The parade benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Nashville-based news station added. "The virtual format also allows us to incorporate a lot more than we could in a live show – such as performances and appearances broadcast from across Nashville, inspirational patient stories, sponsor spotlights and a walk down memory lane with highlights from past parades,” said Julie Carell Stadler, the co-producer of the parade. One benefit of going virtual is that spectators will be able to stay dry if wet weather moves through the city on Dec. 5.
The doors will open at gyms across the state of New York before the end of the month, but residents in New York City will have to wait at least a few weeks longer before returning to their favorite fitness center. "We're very cautious on this one because we remember how bad it was just months ago," New York City Mayor Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Gyms across much of the state will be able to open on Aug. 24, but masks will be required and the fitness centers will only be allowed to reach 33% capacity, ABC News said. Since New York City still has the highest coronavirus infection rate across the state, De Blasio is delaying the reopening of gyms in the city. “We know gyms are highly problematic from the other states,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "We're here, poised delicately on this island of New York state with this sea of spread all around us, so we know we have this storm and we have to be very, very careful."
The World Health Organization sent a dire warning to countries that hoarding a potential COVID-19 vaccine will only deepen the pandemic. On Tuesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made one last effort to try and call for countries to join a global vaccine pact. Many countries have struck their own deals with companies testing potential vaccines, including the European Union, Britain, Switzerland and the United States, according to Reuters. Fears are now mounting from WHO that national interests could impede a global effort. The WHO has set a deadline of Aug. 31 to set terms for a "COVAX Global Vaccines Facility" which will share potential vaccines between wealthy and developing countries. In addition, the global health agency has raised new concerns over the spread of the coronavirus now being driven by younger people who don't know they are infected. This has lead to an increased danger to more vulnerable groups.
A laboratory technician works at the mAbxience biopharmaceutical company in Garin, Argentina, Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. Under an agreement between Argentina and Mexico announced this week, the company is going to make an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and the laboratory AstraZeneca, and if approved the vaccine will be distributed in Latin America. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Wuhan became host to a massive pool party as fears continue to drop in the city. Just five months ago, Wuhan was the epicenter for the deadly coronavirus and home to one of the world's tightest lockdowns. The Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, lifted a 76-day lockdown in early April and hasn't reported a new case since mid-May. The city now continues to move on from the virus as thousands of people gathered in a water park for a music festival. No masks or social distancing was practiced as attendees stood in the water shoulder to shoulder and waving to the beat, CNN said. Some relaxed in inflatable tubes as the pool was packed to the brim with little space to move around. The party took place at the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park, which reopened in late June. The park has been offering half-price tickets to some visitors and is averaging 15,000 daily visitor
Coronavirus cases in nursing homes surged by nearly 80% earlier this summer, according to findings released in a report by the American Health Care Association on Monday. The Associated Press reported that the uptick in cases was driven by the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the South and West. The AP said that long-term care facilities account for 40% of coronavirus fatalities, but only less than 1% of the U.S. population. Monday’s report stated that 9,715 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in nursing homes the week of July 26, up 77% from a low point reported the week of June 21.
“As the virus surges in Sunbelt states, there’s no reason to think it won’t affect nursing homes in the same way it did in states [farther north] that surged earlier,” Tamara Konetzka, a research professor at the University of Chicago and specialist in long-term care, told the AP. “We have learned some things about how to minimize the effect in nursing homes, but providers need the tools to implement those best practices. This is the critical role of federal policy that has not been fulfilled— securing supply chains for (personal protective equipment) and rapid testing.”
A recent study has linked COVID-19 to a rise in childhood type 1 diabetes. A small U.K. study among children found that the amount of type 1 diabetes cases in children almost doubled during the peak of the pandemic in the U.K., according to Reuters. The peak suggests there may be a possible relationship, but more research is necessary. The study is the first to link the two diseases, and while the sample size was small, scientists still warn doctors to be on the look-out for a potential connection.
Karen Logan, a co-leader of the study, said, “Our analysis shows that during the peak of the pandemic the number of new cases of type 1 diabetes in children was unusually high in two of the hospitals (we studied) compared to previous years." The study was published in the Diabetes Care Journal and analyzed 30 children in London hospitals that were diagnosed with new-onset type 1 diabetes during the peak of coronavirus, around twice the normal number of cases diagnosed in the same timeframe during previous years. Of the 30 tested, 21 were tested for COVID-19 and five tested positive. Previous reports from China and Italy also found children being diagnosed with new-onset type 1 diabetes during the pandemic.
The National Hockey League (NHL) has had no positive COVID-19 test results for the third week in a row of testing. The league has performed 5,640 tests and all results have come back negative. “The NHL completed the third week of its Phase 4 Return to Play with no positive test results for COVID-19 among the 5,640 tests administered,” the league said in a statement on Monday. The league stated it will not be providing information on the identity of any individuals or Clubs. “Testing was administered on a daily basis to all members of the Clubs’ 52-member traveling parties, including players, during the period from August 9 through August 15. The NHL will continue to provide regular updates on COVID-19 testing results,” the league said in a statement. All players and staff are in 'the bubble,' where teams remain secluded from the outside world to significantly reduce the risk of infection. The NHL "bubble" consists of limited areas in two hub cities — Edmonton and Toronto — where team personnel will be required to remain.
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 21,912,218
Fatalities: 774,661
Recoveries: 13,907,711
In Spain, a record new 16,269 cases were recorded on Monday, part of a recent surge in cases for the country. Over the past seven days, the nation has seen its case total rise by 11%, with most of those infections coming from Madrid.
Just a week after resuming in-person classes, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced they will shift all of its classes online, starting Wednesday, as the number of COVID-19 cases on campus grows, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz told students and faculty Monday. Four clusters of the virus have been reported at three UNC-Chapel Hill residence halls and a fraternity since Friday. According to UNC-Chapel Hill data, 130 students and five employees tested positive for the virus between Aug. 10 to Aug. 16, according to WRAL. “After consultation with state and local health officials, UNC’s infectious disease experts and the UNC System, Carolina is making two changes to de-densify campus. First: On Wednesday, Aug. 19, all undergraduate instruction will shift to remote learning. Second: UNC will again open the opportunity for fall 2020 residence hall cancellation requests with no penalty. Carolina Housing will contact residents with additional information in the coming days,” the University tweeted on Monday. “We understand the concerns of our neighbors, co-workers and friends in and around the Chapel Hill and Carrboro communities. Their health and well-being are just as important to us as that of our UNC students, faculty and staff,” the tweet continued.
A new strain of coronavirus, seen earlier in other parts of the world and called D614G, is spreading in Southeast Asia. While the Philippines are facing the region’s largest outbreak, they are studying to see whether the mutation makes it more infectious. The strain was found in a Malaysian cluster of 45 cases that started from someone who returned from India and breached his 14-day home quarantine. The Philippines detected the strain among random coronavirus samples. The mutation “is said to have a higher possibility of transmission or infectiousness, but we still don’t have enough solid evidence to say that that will happen,” Philippines’ Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual briefing on Monday. The strain has become the predominant variant in Europe and the U.S. and has been found in many other countries including China. The World Health Organization has stated there’s no evidence the strain leads to a more severe disease. "There’s no evidence from the epidemiology that the mutation is considerably more infectious than other strains," said Benjamin Cowling, head of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Hong Kong. “It’s more commonly identified now than it was in the past, which suggests that it might have some kind of competitive advantage over other strains of COVID-19,” he said.
Hong Kong extended social distancing restrictions amid 44 new coronavirus cases being reported on Monday. Since early July, the coronavirus has reemerged throughout Hong Kong. Daily numbers have come down in recent weeks, but authorities are still warning residents that the situation remains severe, according to Reuters. Of 44 new cases reported Monday, 31 were from local transmissions. The current restrictions ban restaurant dining starting at 6 p.m. and mandate the wearing of masks in all outdoor public areas. The current restrictions, which were originally set to expire on August 17, ban restaurant dining after 6 p.m. and mandate mask-wearing in all public areas. Hong Kong has seen over 4,500 COVID-19 cases and nearly 70 deaths, after having just 1,234 total cases and seven deaths on July 1.
Homebuilder confidence in the U.S. matches record high levels. For the third straight month, the home builder confidence in the U.S. has risen. Record-low interest rates have caused a surge in interest, mainly in the suburban markets. Data released on Monday showed that the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index had risen to 78 points which matches a record set in 1998, according to Reuters. NAHB's for both current and future home sales improved. July's housing starts data will be released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday, the report is expected to show an increase to 1.24 million units according to a Reuters poll. This comes as housing plummeted in the spring as a result of the coronavirus pandemic which also sent the economy into a rescission in February. The six-year low has now sharply rebounded from April.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is among the first to volunteer to receive a coronavirus vaccine developed in Russia. Scientists have raised their eyebrows at the vaccine developed in Moscow after only two months of human testing, as only about 10% of clinical trials prove to be successful, Reuters reported. "I'd be the first to be vaccinated," Lopez Obrado said about the vaccine. Mexico is currently partnered with Argentina and AstraZeneca Plc to produce a vaccine, and if Phase III of trials is deemed a success, a vaccine could be available by April 2021.
In the short months the U.S. has been overtaken by the coronavirus pandemic, the virus has already skyrocketed to become the third-highest cause of death in the country, with over 170,000 lives already lost. It now follows heart disease and cancer, the first two causes of death in the U.S., according to healthline. "COVID is now the No. 3 cause of death in the US -- ahead of accidents, injuries, lung disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and many, many other causes," Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said. The death rate is also much higher in the U.S. than in other countries, Frieden said, according to CNN. "Last week, Americans were eight times more likely to get killed by COVID than were Europeans," he explained.
The 2020 Democratic National Convention is set to kick off on Monday with the usual massive crowds congregating behind screens rather than in person. Rather than having balloons and confetti fall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the event was originally set to take place, Joe Biden will be accepting the nomination from his home in Delaware, according to Vox. Viewers can watch a live stream of the event on the DNC’s website while Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, will be giving their speeches virtually as well. “From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement. “We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives. That’s the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserves. And that’s the leadership Joe Biden will bring to the White House.”
Airport traffic has crossed 800,000 for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began decreasing numbers. The Transportation Security Administration reported that 831,789 passengers crossed security checkpoints on Sunday, according to CNN. Despite the milestone, air traffic is still only 31% of 2019 numbers, which saw 2.6 million people cross checkpoints in one day. Social distancing has been implemented by TSA at checkpoints which includes passengers waiting in line. TSA officers are also required to wear face coverings and gloves. Over 1,500 TSA employees have tested positive for the coronavirus so far.
You might have to think twice next time you order a pepperoni pizza as the price for pepperoni skyrocket due to the pandemic. In order to follow safe practices during the coronavirus pandemic, meat processors are being forced to streamline operations which hamper the ability to produce pepperoni, according to the New York Post. These restrictions are now leading to higher prices for small pizzerias. All around the country, pizza shops are seeing a higher price to pay for the popular topping, including Charlie's Pizza House in Yankton, South Dakota. The restaurant used to pay just $2.87 per pound in January 2019 but now has to pay a pricy $4.12 per pound for the beloved topping. The demand for pizza has also surged since lockdown began, causing chains such as Papa John's reporting record sales.
France has sent riot police to help enforce mask mandates. The French government sent over 100 police officers to the region of Marseille in order to ensure residents are following the mask order that was expanded on Friday. The new expansion of the order now requires all outdoor farmers' markets and more neighborhoods to wear masks. People refusing to wear masks has caused scattered incidents of violence, according to the AP. France recently saw one of the highest daily spikes in coronavirus cases since lifting lockdown measures in May. Over 30,000 people have died in France from the virus.
More than 2,000 school students, teachers and staff members have been put into quarantine across several states. As schools begin to reopen around the country, the harsh reality of the virus quickly became apparent as schools rapidly put students and staff into quarantine. Studies have continued to show that the coronavirus spreads very easily among children, according to CNN. Though despite the warning, pediatricians have cautioned the negative effects distance-learning has on primary-age students and families, causing a dilemma on if schools should reopen or not. Cherokee County School District in Georgia has put more than 1,000 students and staff members under quarantine after just two weeks of returning to the classroom. One school in the district has already stopped in-person learning temporarily after more than a quarter of the students were put into quarantine. The largest school district in Georgia, Gwinnet County, didn't even make it to reopening before quarantines had to be put into place. At least 263 employees from the district were quarantined after 28 tested positive before in-person instructions began.
The United States reported 42,048 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, the lowest number the country has seen since late June. This is the first time since June 29th that the U.S. has reported less than 45,000 cases in a day. The country continues to try and control a sudden surge of new infections as they spread mainly through the southern and western states, according to AFP. Since the first reported infections in January, 2.6 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the country.Daily deaths continue to decline along with daily cases in the U.S. with only 355 new daily deaths reported for Sunday.
In Japan, where the Olympics would have recently wrapped up had it not been for the pandemic, the economy shrank 7.8% in the year’s second quarter. The drop marks the worst performance on record, according to the New York Times, as economic activity was held nearly completely still in April and May due to country’s mandates. Japan, which boasts the third-largest economy in the world, was the first country to officially fall into a recession due to COVID-19, nearly matching the economic disaster of 2008’s financial crisis. In June, however, the country’s economy saw a “sizable rebound” Izumi Devalier, chief Japan economist at Bank of America, told the New York Times. Government subsidies led to a rise in retail sales, industrial production and exports while the unemployment rate dropped. Since mid-July, however, infections have begun to rise and some restrictions, such as early restaurant closures, have been reinforced.
Labor Day may be three weeks away, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may already be raining on the holiday. Over the weekend, the CDC said the American fatality total from COVID-19 could reach 200,000 by the unofficial end to summer. “Were starting to see the inkling of the upticks in the percents of the tests that are positive,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said, according to ABC. “We know now from sad past experiences that that’s a predictor that you’re going to have more surges.” As students from around the country prepare to return to schools, the CDC forecast that the death rates in states such as California and Colorado could rise. In states such as Georgia, where in-person classes at high schools restarted in recent weeks, thousands have already been forced to quarantine due to spreading infections.
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 21,706,031
Fatalities: 775,879
Recoveries: 13,687,940
India, which has seen the third-most cases and fourth-most deaths from COVID-19 in the world, continues to struggle with a long-lasting case spike. Since July 27, the country hasn't seen a day with fewer than 50,000 new cases and Sunday's addition of 57,711 new cases was just the second day under 60,000 since August 4.
New Zealand's general election has been delayed by four weeks due to the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced. The election was originally scheduled for Sept. 19, but because the pandemic made it more difficult for parties to campaign it will be held on Oct. 17 instead. "Having weighed up all these factors and taken wide soundings, I have decided on balance to move the election by four weeks to 17 October," she said, according to Sky News. After being coronavirus-free for 102 days, a recent outbreak is now responsible for 69 cases in the country.
The coronavirus has taken a toll on the real estate industry in New York City, and now the city is facing record-high vacancies and record-low rent. Real estate agencies have recorded a 122% increase in the city’s vacancies, which comes to over 13,000 units empty, Fox Business reported. The number is the highest it has been in 14 years. Due to the growing number of vacant housing, rent prices have lowered across the boroughs. Many residents have changed their residency after being forced to work from home, opting for Connecticut, California, Texas, Florida and North Carolina instead.
The FDA approved emergency-use authorization for saliva-based coronavirus tests that were developed by researchers at Yale. The university announced the news on Saturday. Researchers claim the test is less expensive and invasive compared to current testing methods. SalivaDirect, the name of the test, is currently being tested on NBA players and staff members who are asymptomatic, The Hill reported. "With saliva being quick and easy to collect, we realized it could be a game-changer in COVID-19 diagnostics," Anne Wylie, associate research scientist at Yale School of Public Health, said.
An Oklahoma State sorority house is completely under quarantine after 23 members tested positive for COVID-19. “Due to the nature of this situation, the entire chapter house is in isolation or quarantine and will be prohibited from leaving the facility,” the university said about the sorority Pi Beta Phi. A member of the sorority who does not live in the house also tested positive, and will remain in isolation elsewhere, The New York Post reported. The house will be under a two week quarantine, and has already been disinfected. Other students however, have expressed concern regarding the outbreak. “You have girls that live in-house and some that don’t live in house,” student Julia Aguirre told News9. “I mean, they’re coming in and out, in and out all day.”
Broken Bow School District in Nebraska has cancelled classes after staff members contracted COVID-19. According to Reuters, three staff members tested positive for the virus and another 24 are in quarantine. Preschool and grades six through 12 have all been cancelled until Aug. 24. The closure comes after school districts in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama closed due to coronavirus infections as well.
New York state was under 1% positive for coronavirus testing for the ninth straight day, New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. The governor said that 7 million coronavirus tests have been conducted to date in the state. New York has seen 430,000 positive cases and 32,414 deaths from COVID-19. “Our numbers reflect the hard work of New Yorkers, and as other states across the nation see surging cases, our numbers remain steadily low. For more than a week, we’ve seen our positivity rate stay below 1 percent, and to date, New York has done 7 million tests—these are remarkable accomplishments that New Yorkers should be proud of,” Governor Cuomo said.
Businesses throughout Manhattan continue to shut down as they are unable to operate during the pandemic. "Store For Rent" and "Retail Space Available" signs are prevalent all over the city.
A view of the Charging Bull sculpture in New York City. Photo by: John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx 2020 8/13/20
On Saturday, Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp issued a new coronavirus executive order that extends the shelter-in-place order for the medically high-risk Georgians, continues the ban on large gatherings and maintains health and safety protocols for Georgia businesses. Governor Kemp's order does not officially mandate the wearing of masks, but strongly encourages that face coverings be worn in public. The order "protects Georgia businesses from government overreach by restricting the application and enforcement of local masking requirements to public property. While I support local control, it must be properly balanced with property rights and personal freedoms.” The order states that local governments "who choose to impose a Local Option Face Covering Requirement" must not fine businesses, fine violators more than $50 or enforce masks at polling places. Masks cannot be enforced on private property, the order says. Anyone who violates local mask rules must be warned about the health risks of not doing so before a citation is issued, according to the order.
Governor Kemp released the following statement:
“In Georgia, our statewide case numbers have dropped 22% over the last two weeks, and daily hospitalizations have decreased by 7% in the last seven days. We are on average testing over 31,000 Georgians daily at 180 SPOCs while maintaining a low rate of transmission. The positivity rate is on the decline, and the mortality rate continues to fall."
On Saturday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the agency has granted emergency use authorization for a diagnostic test for coronavirus that uses a new, inexpensive method of processing saliva samples. The highly sensitive test, called SalivaDirect, has been found to yield similar outcomes to nasopharyngeal swabbing. Saliva is self-collected in a sterile container without the use of a specific swab or collection device, under the observation of a health care worker. The molecular diagnostic test can show results in under three hours, researchers announced, and up to 92 samples can be tested at once. Researchers said the test costs only a couple dollars for reagents, and they expect labs to charge about $10 per sample. The National Basketball Association (NBA) was among the groups that funded the research, and the NBA is using this method to test asymptomatic people for COVID-19. “The SalivaDirect test for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 is yet another testing innovation game-changer that will reduce the demand for scarce testing resources," Adm. Dr. Brett Giroir, the White House coronavirus testing coordinator, said in a statement.
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 21,359,166
Fatalities: 768,864
Recoveries: 13,362,300
Museums, aquariums and other cultural centers will be allowed to reopen in New York City after being locked down for months, CNBC reported. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday that because the percent of positive tests were only 1% of the city’s overall coronavirus tests, museums, aquariums and cultural centers will be authorized to open on Aug. 24 at 25% capacity. On Monday, the city’s bowling alleys will also be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity. Both The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The American Museum of Natural History have announced their desires to reopen.
After officials previously announced the annual light ceremony in honor of Sept. 11 would not happen this year, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Twitter that the event was back on, and health personal would be present to ensure coronavirus safety. The ceremony features two pillars of light illuminating the sky from ground zero. The yearly event is a tribute to those who died in the 2001 terrorist attacks, CBS News reported. "I am glad that we can continue this powerful tribute to those we lost on 9/11 and to the heroism of all New Yorkers," Cuomo said. "Honoring our 9/11 heroes is a cherished tradition. The twin towers of light signify hope, resiliency, promise and are a visual representation of #NewYorkTough."
US hotel occupancy may not recover until at least 2023, forecasts warn. Travel data company STR along with consultant Tourism Economics released a report on Thursday saying they expect a hotel occupancy of only 40% this year, according to ABC News. The number is only expected to rise slightly in 2021, to 52%. Last year, the hotel occupancy level was at 66%. Beach locations around the U.S. have seen a busier summer where occupancy reached 67% in places like Norfolk, Virginia. Meanwhile, cities in places like Hawaii have seen occupancy down to 20%. Despite demand for leisure travel rising, hotels are still being hit hard from the lack of business and group events. A cautious recovery is expected for the first half of next year with a stronger recovery expected in the second half of 2021, according to Tourism Economics president Adam Sacks. Hotel revenue won't see a full recover until 2024, Tourism Economics predicts.
Researchers in Thailand are using bat samples to find the origin of COVID-19. Up until now, this kind of research has only been conducted in China. However, the origins of COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 may also be found in Thailand as the same species of bats from China are also present in Thailand. Researchers continue to look for clues or links to the virus in order to help understand more about the puzzling beginnings. Samples of saliva, blood, and stool are being taken from the bats before being released back into the wild to test for the coronavirus and other diseases.
After being closed for five months because of the coronavirus outbreak, Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain reopened on Saturday. Dozens of members of the Brazilian Army and Navy cleaned the monument on Thursday. Now there are limitations on the number of visitors permitted at the tourist attractions. The Christ the Redeemer site will begin welcoming visitors at 1 p.m. local time, according to Paineiras Corcovado. There will be reduced hours Sunday with the tourist vans traversing the hill at half the capacity, and the tourist train operating at 25% capacity. Similar precautions, including temperature checks, are being taken at other tourist attractions that are opening this weekend, including Sugarloaf, the AquaRio aquarium and the Rio Star ferris wheel, according to the government tourism campaign website, Rediscover Rio.
Soldiers disinfect the Christ the Redeemer site, currently closed, to prepare for what tourism officials hope will be a surge in visitors in the upcoming weekend as health restrictions are eased amid the new coronavirus pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
A 57-year-old retired nurse from Florida, Susan Bailey, has had all of her vaccines and gets a flu shot every year, however, she’s one of a growing number of people globally who say they wouldn't take a coronavirus vaccine even if one becomes available in the near future. "I'm not anti-vaccine. My kids were both vaccinated with everything, but I would not take a COVID vaccine today," Bailey told CNN. "I have underlying health issues ... I would want to see enough studies in a long-term period of what the ramifications are for the vaccine." Bailey rejects the extreme views of the anti-vaccine community but says she has concerns about a coronavirus vaccine. Bailey said consensus among the world's top scientists and at least six months of testing would be just "a start" in persuading her to take it. "It's much too soon for me, I'd have to say, 18 months." Development for vaccines is a long, complex process, often lasting 10 to 15 years.
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Confirmed cases: 21,183,539
Fatalities: 767,054
Recoveries: 13,293,054
Tensions at the Canadian-U.S. border are rising as Canadian coronavirus cases continue to trend downwards while the U.S. continues to battle rising cases, according to BBC News. The border had closed on March 21, both nations having agreed upon the closure. It will remain in effect until Aug. 21, unless it is extended again as it has throughout the summer. However, due to the difference in coronavirus case rates between the U.S. and Canada, many Canadians have expressed unease at American travelers crossing the border. “Montana is directly south of us, is having a second spike of cases right now, and I don’t feel sorry for anybody that gets stopped at the border, let’s put it that way,” Jim Willett, the mayor of Coutts, Alberta, told BBC News.People with American license plates have reportedly had their vehicles vandalized while on the Canadian side of the border, even if they had crossed legally for an essential job.
“They’re all scared of driving their cars in lower mainland because of vandalism, dirty looks and just getting treated as some ‘horrible American,’” Len Saunders, a dual citizen who lives in Blaine, Minnesota, and immigration lawyer with clients who regularly cross the border for work, told BBC. A July poll by Ipsos Reid, a research company based in Canada, found that eight in 10 Canadians wanted the border to remain closed at least until the end of 2020.
Penn State’s annual 46-hour dance marathon benefiting families with children battling cancer, THON, will be held entirely virtually in 2021, the philanthropy announced via Twitter on Friday. “With the safety of our Four Diamonds families, student volunteers, and generous supporters at the forefront of every conversation, it has been decided that THON Weekend 2021 will not be held in person,” the announcement said. According to PennLive, THON, which is recognized as the world's biggest student-run philanthropy, brought in over $11 million last year for Four Diamonds, an organization that covers all medical expenses for pediatric cancer patients treated at Penn State Children's Hospital. While the event may look different this year, as it is typically held in Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center, in a Q and A, the organization said it is “fully committed to providing experiences for all members of the THON community any way that we can.” While further details have not yet been announced on how the weekend-long event will play out, THON said that dancers, who are not allowed to sit for the duration of the event, will still be an integral part of THON 2021.
A report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force claims Georgia’s current COVID-19 policies are not enough to curb the spread. "There is widespread and expanding community viral spread," the report said, according to CNN. "There is no significant improvement in the Atlanta metro area, with continued high levels of new cases at a plateau. Mitigation efforts must increase.” Georgia's rate of spread is almost double the nation's overall, and the report suggests they crack down on the spread by issuing a statewide mask mandate, closing nightclubs, bars and gyms in counties that are high-risk, limiting restaurant capacity to one-quarter of normal and increasing testing and contact tracing. On Thursday, the Health Department reported 2,674 new cases in the state, bringing the statewide total to 228,668.
Vietnam’s health ministry has registered to buy a Russian COVID-19 vaccine, state television reported on Friday, after a new outbreak hits the Southeast Asian country. On Wednesday, Russia had announced it would release the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine within two weeks while rejecting concerns from experts insisting on completing large-scale trials before its approval, Reuters reported.A portion of the 50 million-150 millions doses of the vaccine that Vietnam had signed up for will be a “donation” from Russia, according to the Tuoi Tre newspaper, while Vietnam will pay for the rest. The nation is also buying vaccines from Britain, where it has partnered with the University of Bristol to develop a vaccine, according to a statement from the health ministry. Vietnam is currently racing to suppress new infections linked to the tourist city of Dangang, where a new outbreak was detected on July 25, according to Reuters. Vu Duc Dam, the head of Vietnam’s coronavirus task force, said on Friday that Vietnam had no choice but to “live safely with the virus.”
The most populated state in the U.S. also has the highest number of coronavirus cases with California reporting more than 600,000 cases. This is more than double the number of cases than Italy, France, or Germany, and more than four times the number of cases than Canada, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. However, it is not all bad news in California. The number of daily cases has been trending downward in population centers, such as San Diego County, which could help some businesses reopen, NBC News said. Florida ranks second in the U.S. with 557,000 coronavirus cases, followed by Texas with 531,000.
Coronavirus-sniffing dogs are being used at Dubai Airport with above 90% accuracy. Dubai International Airport has become the first to use dogs trained to detect coronavirus. With over 400 tests being conducted in recent weeks, the dogs have had a 91% accuracy, according to Fox News. Anyone entering the United Arab Emirates must be tested for the virus before they depart and are required to show negative test results. Passengers that are possibly infected at the airport go to a designated testing area, where a swab is taken from their armpit for a scent sample. This sample is then given to trained dogs in a separate room to see if they detect the virus in it. Major Salah Khalifa Al Mazrouei, director of Dubai Police Security Inspection K-9 Unit, told Gulf News that, "If the sample turns out positive, the dog will sit in front of it. It only takes a few minutes...We are in direct contact with experts in U.K. and France to train our dogs in detecting the virus."
Retail purchases in the U.S. have gone up 1.2% in July, bringing it back to pre-pandemic levels. Despite the recent rise, consumers still spent less than expected for the month, according to CNBC. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones estimated that retail sales would rise by 2.3% but actual figures show only about half that. Despite that, worker productivity saw a sharp rise of 7.3% annualized for the second quarter, rising to its fastest pace in 11 years. This comes after June saw a huge 8.4% surge in retail sales including gains in furniture and appliances. The recent lower increase has come due to a resurge of the coronavirus across the country. The future still remains uncertain for the economy. Corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, Robert Frick, told CNBC that, "Given continued high unemployment, retail sales in August and in the fall will rely to a large degree on the timing and extent of more government assistance."
The U.K. has added France, Spain, and the Netherlands onto its travel ban list amid a new surge in coronavirus cases. Arrivals coming into the U.K. from those countries will now have to quarantine for 14 days upon their return or face fines starting 4 a.m. on Sunday, according to Reuters. France recently recorded a post-lockdown daily new cases recording a total of 2,669 in just 24 hours. Shadow home security Nick Thomas-Symonds said, “While we support evidence-based measures at the border, it’s vital that the government has a joined-up strategy, and recognizes the impact of this on travel-related businesses. It is vital that a sector-specific deal is put in place urgently." U.K. transport secretary, Grant Shaps, was among the ministers who agreed to the removal of the Netherlands along with Malta, Turks and Caicos, and Aruba from the countries approved travel list. The decision was finalized after further discussions took place on Thursday. Residents of the U.K. will now have about 30 hours to travel back home in order to avoid the quarantine.
The race for a coronavirus vaccine is still ongoing, but once a vaccine is proven to be effective and ready to be distributed to the public, they will likely be free for Americans, U.S. officials said on Thursday. More than $10 billion has been invested into six vaccine projects, and when one becomes available to the public, the doses will be paid for by the government, AFP said. However, the first doses may not be available until the winter. Several vaccines are in the trial stages, but the director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins said that one may not be ready until “November or December,” Reuters reported. The first vaccines that do become available are likely to be offered to healthcare workers and those at a higher risk of complications.
The Canary Islands have become the second region in Spain to all but ban smoking in order to stop a new wave of coronavirus cases. The islands have barred smoking if people are unable to maintain a 2-meter (6.5 foot) distance between each other, according to Reuters. Masks have also been mandated by the islands as well as a 10 person limit for gatherings. The Spain region of Galicia also imposed a smoking ban on Wednesday as fears of a resurge in coronavirus cases continue across the country. Spain had one of the most strict lockdowns in all of Europe, but was eased seven weeks ago. Since the lifting of the restrictions, the country has had trouble keeping infections down. On average, new daily cases are rising to more than 1,500 in the first 12 days of August. Spain has had a total of 337,334 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned that temperature checks may not be reliable. The White House and the National Institues of Health have stopped giving temperature checks as a screening tool for the coronavirus, according to ABC News. Fauci said the screening is not reliable, especially during the summer months because the hot summer days may increase temperatures. "We have found at the NIH, that it is much much better to just question people when they come in and save the time, because the temperatures are notoriously inaccurate, many times," said Fauci. Temperatures read up to 103 degrees before people were in air conditioned places.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has extended the city’s state of emergency declaration through Jan. 16, 2021 due to the coronavirus. “Until there’s a widely available vaccine, COVID-19 is here to stay—with serious potential health consequences for those infected,” Lucas said in a press release on Thursday. “I will continue to work with Dr. Archer and our City health leaders to take any decisive action necessary—especially as we head into the fall and winter months—to best protect our community.” As part of the state of emergency, residents and visitors in Kansas City are required to wear a face mask when in a public area. Taverns and bars will also be limited to 50% capacity into 2021. “Mask-wearing, social distancing and basic hygiene continue to be the most effective way to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and we appreciate all who take their personal responsibility to protect their family, friends and neighbors seriously,” Lucas said.
Israel is working on a new COVID-19 test that could provide results exponentially faster than most standard tests being used in the U.S. The new test consists of patients rinsing their mouths with a saline solution and spitting it into a vial. A small machine shines a light on the sample, and depending on how the light interacts with the sample, it can determine if the coronavirus is present. This new testing method takes just seconds and has a 95% success rate, Reuters reported. “So far we have very promising results in this new method which will be much more convenient and much cheaper,” said Eli Schwartz, who is leading the testing trials at the Center for Geographic Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Center. A rapid test like this could be revolutionary and allow more people to be tested in a shorter amount of time. Currently, most people that get tested in the U.S. have to wait several days to get there results back. This new method of testing is also relatively cheap with the device priced at less than $200 and each test costing less than a quarter, Reuters said.
Nurse practitioner Debbi Hinderliter, left, collects a sample from a woman at a coronavirus testing site near the nation's busiest pedestrian border crossing, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in San Diego. San Diego County has started operating a testing site next to the city's largest pedestrian link to Tijuana, Mexico. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Here are the latest global COVID-19 numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins:
Confirmed cases: 20,939,967
Fatalities: 759,928
Recoveries: 13,009,485
The world total tally of confirmed COVID-19 recoveries surpassed the 13 million mark on Friday morning. Brazil, the U.S. and India are the top three countries in both confirmed cases and recovered cases, with Brazil leading the way with 2,521,100 reported recoveries. In the U.S., no state has seen more recoveries than Texas, which has totaled 375,760 recovered positive cases.
The coronavirus is at least as deadly as the flu pandemic in 1918 and has the potential to become even worse, according to some scientists. In a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the increase of deaths in New York City was higher overall in the first few months of the 1918 pandemic, but taking into consideration modern medicine and hygiene, the increase during the coronavirus outbreak was “substantially greater” than the peak of the 1918 pandemic, according to the researchers.
"If insufficiently treated, SARS-CoV-2 infection may have comparable or greater mortality than 1918 H1N1 influenza virus infection,” lead author Jeremy Faust said, according to CNBC News. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci has also called the coronavirus a "pandemic of historic proportions" and will most likely be comparable to the flu of 1918.
This Library of Congress photo shows a demonstration at the Red Cross Emergency Ambulance Station in Washington, D.C., during the influenza pandemic of 1918. Science has ticked off some major accomplishments over the last century. The world learned about viruses, cured various diseases, made effective vaccines, developed instant communications and created elaborate public-health networks. Yet in many ways, 2020 is looking like 1918, the year the great influenza pandemic raged. (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division via AP)
A new study suggests that full staffs result in less widespread coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes. A study from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), nursing homes across eight states were more successful in keeping infection rates low when they were able to maintain a larger staff. While the study found that heath inspection and quality measure ratings did not reflect in a significant difference in infection rates, staffing shortages were shown to have correlated with larger outbreaks. “When nurse aides are responsible for too many residents, they don’t have the time to follow the proper infection prevention procedures,” Eric Carlson, a long-term care expert with the advocacy group Justice in Aging, told ABC News. “It’s penny wise and pound foolish for facilities to short-staff facilities, since this research shows that overworked staff leads to infections and deaths.”
Children with COVID-19 may also present with new neurological symptoms, according to a study published by JAMA in July. The study was led by doctors at the Great Ormond Street Hospital and detailed four cases of children with COVID-19 and neurological symptoms. The four children had been a part of a large group of 27 young patients who were diagnosed with multi system inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, after their respiratory symptoms subsided. While the number of similar cases have been comparatively small to the number of people infected, neurologists warned that with confirmed cases in the U.S. around 4 million, thousands of patients could face neurological complications associated with COVID-19, “potentially focused on the children who suffered the multi system inflammatory syndrome,” according to NBC News.
Dr. Robert Stevens, a critical care neurologist at John Hopkins Medicine, warned of “a sort of secondary pandemic of people” who might experience problems further down the road. “A fair number of people who get this disease wind up with some neurological manifestations, and these range from very mild to severe life-threatening conditions,” he said. “People who survive will recover from the respiratory failure, they’ll recover from the kidney disease, but the imprint on the Brian is likely to be much more long-lasting.”
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods asked all deputies to not wear masks in most work settings. The new mandate was announced on Wednesday, as according to authorities, Woods insisted that there’s no evidence that wearing a mask can curve the spread of the virus. “Now, I can already hear the whining and just so you know I did not make this decision easily and I have weighed it out for the past 2 weeks,” Woods wrote in a memo to the staff, according to NBC News. “We can debate and argue all day of why and why not. The fact is, the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should, I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn’t.” The new policy applies to all 900 employees at the office, and Woods has stated his decision is no “longer a debate nor is it up for discussion.” Marion County, which has a population of about 365,000, has seen an increase in cases over the past month, especially in Ocala, the county's largest city. Mayor Kent Guinn continues to encourage all residents to follow CDC recommendations and to wear masks.
Frozen chicken wings from Brazil have tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting a warning from a Chinese city. Consumers in Shenzhen are being urged to be extra careful when buying imported frozen food after a surface sample from chicken wings that were imported from Brazil tested positive for the virus, according to Bloomberg. Previous positive cases have came from the surface of food packaging, but this positive came from the surface of the meat itself. Aurora Alimentos plant in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina was the manufacturer of the chicken. A statement from the local government says all people who came into contact with the chicken came back with negative results but noted that consumers should remain cautious.
A Georgia High School has closed following 1,100 students being quarantined. Etowah High School, part of the Cherokee County School District, does not require masks be worn for students attending classes. Just eight days after the school reopened, an announcement on Tuesday was made to close. The high school had 14 confirmed cases with an additional 15 tests pending, according to NBC News. The entire school district has 59 confirmed cases of the virus, causing over 1,000 students and 37 staff members to quarantine. Superintendent Brian Hightower warned that more schools could be closed due to the virus unless action is taken. "As your Superintendent, I wear a mask whenever I cannot social distance," Hightower said. "We know all parents do not believe the scientific research that indicates masks are beneficial, but I believe it and see masks as an important measure to help us keep schools open." Teachers across the district protested the reopening of the district back in July due to the reopening plans and lack of mask mandates.
Anna Del Priore has survived not one, but two pandemics. This spring, the 107-year-old New Jersey woman beat COVID-19 after having previously survived the Spanish flu when she was 6 years old. “People don’t believe me. She is a dual survivor of two pandemics,” Laura Halle, her primary caretaker, told Patch. “It’s a huge thing to see someone who is 107 survive this disease that has all this fear and hype and negativity around it.” Del Priore was diagnosed with COVID-19 back in mid-May, but only experienced minor symptoms such as “a fever, coughing, lack of appetite.” According to Halle, “she never had breathing issues, and she never required a ventilator or even needed to be taken to the hospital.” Even when sick, Del Priore always maintained a positive, cheerful attitude, which Halle credits for the 107-year-old’s good health and longevity. "She’s happy and smiling, and you just have to thank God for your health. It’s been amazing to watch her. There are not many people who can say, ‘I’ve met and loved someone who will be 108'," Halle said.
Jobless claims in the U.S. have fallen below 1 million for the first time since mid-March. In a sign that the labor market continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, a total of 963,000 jobless claims were filed for the week ended Aug. 8th. This number is much lower than the estimated 1.1 million given by Dow Jones. There were also 228,000 less jobless claims compared to the prior week, according to CNBC. For 20 consecutive weeks, jobless claims totaled above 20 million in the U.S. due to the pandemic. While claims are falling, historic levels are still being seen as continuing unemployment insurance claims is still above 15 million. Florida, New York and Texas saw the largest drops in claims. It is reported the U.S. has now recovered half the jobs it has lost since closures from the pandemic began.
On Wednesday, Italy ruled that people traveling from Croatia, Greece, Malta and Spain must take a COVID-19 test as soon as they arrive. Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced on Facebook that he had signed the new order and added that anyone traveling from Colombia would not be allowed to enter Italy. “We have to continue with a prudent approach to defend the results we’ve achieved thanks to the sacrifice we have all made in recent months,” Speranza said, according to Reuters. Italy was the first country outside of China to report a COVID-19 outbreak and has since recorded more than 35,000 deaths. However, over the last month, the number of reported cases has increased less steeply than in other European countries. The country reported 481 new infections and 10 deaths on Wednesday, according to the Civil Protection Agency.
New Zealand’s puzzling new outbreak of COVID-19 has now increased to 17 cases. On Thursday, officials reported new cases in Auckland and said that the number will likely increase further. A lockdown has also been imposed in New Zealand’s largest city as authorities hope to stop the spread of the virus. The first cases of the new outbreak were announced on Sundayas the country of 5 million people had marked 100 days without any cases of local transmissions. The source of infection still remains a mystery to officials, and the city has been moved to Alert Level 3, which means that non-essential workers are required to stay home, and all non-essential businesses are shut. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the new outbreak is a reminder of the virus’ fast spread. “As with our first outbreak, we do have an expectation that things will get worse before they get better,” Ardern said, according to ABC News. “Modeling suggests that we will see more positive cases. At this stage, though, it’s heartening to see them in one cluster.”
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 324 COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday, setting a record for single-day fatalities. The state data comes from 57 city and county health departments, about 600 hospitals and 340 laboratories and the state records, according to The Texas Tribune. Gov. Greg Abbott was quick to reopen the economy back in May but has since paused further reopening plans as cases continue to spread across the state. In July, Abbott issued a statewide mandate requiring most Texans to wear masks in public cases, due to the increase in hospitalization rates across the state.
For those who may have thought the spring and summer were the worst periods of public health they had ever seen, CDC director Robert Redfield said an even worse season could still lie ahead. In an interview with WebMD, Redfield said these coming months could present “the worst fall, from a public health perspective, we’ve ever had." He added that the severity of the situation will entirely hinge on the actions and efforts of Americans. “It’s dependent on how the American people choose to respond. It’s really the worst of times or the best of times, depending on the American public,” he said. “I’m optimistic.” According to an estimate from Redfield, in order to flatten the curve for good, 95% to 99% of Americans would need to comply with the simple safety measures such as socially distancing, wearing a mask and washing your hands.
The revered Masters golf tournament will not have fans in attendance when it takes place on Nov. 12-15. The tournament, which was rescheduled from its traditional early April dates due to the pandemic, has been held at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, since the 1930s. Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National, said in a statement that the potential risks of welcoming guests to the course during a global pandemic were too significant to overcome. “Even in the current circumstances, staging the Masters without patrons is deeply disappointing," Ridley said in a statement. "The guests who come to Augusta each spring from around the world are a key component to making the Tournament so special. Augusta National has the responsibility, however, to understand and accept the challenges associated with this virus and take the necessary precautions to conduct all aspects of the Tournament in a safe manner. We look forward to the day when we can welcome all of our patrons back, hopefully in April 2021."
Here are the latest global COVID-19 numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins:
Confirmed cases: 20,643,028
Fatalities: 749,764
Recoveries: 12,846,169
Argentina recorded 209 fatalities from COVID-19 on Wednesday, marking the second straight day with at least 200 deaths. Wednesday was the seventh day since July 30 that saw at least 150 fatalities in the country, marking the most severe spike of cases in the country. Before July 18, Argentina never saw a day with more than 82 COVID-19 deaths.
For previous updates on the coronavirus pandemic from Aug. 5 to Aug. 13, click here.
For previous updates on the coronavirus pandemic from July 24 to Aug. 4, click here.
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