August 13 coronavirus news

In Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood – which has been plagued with violence and trauma – residents have been working for years to transform their community from surviving to thriving, one block at a time. 

And then came Covid-19.

More than six months in, the pandemic continues to disproportionately impact communities of color in the US.

“Look at the amount of Black Americans that are dying from Covid. And let’s look at the fact that these communities just are lacking resources and opportunities,” said CNN hero Robbin Carroll, whose community-led nonprofit, I Grow Chicago, has been embedded in West Englewood since 2013.

Through its Peace House and surrounding campus, the organization helps provide anything the community wants and needs to improve residents’ lives – from fresh food and employment assistance to afterschool and wellness programs. 

Now, in the wake of Covid-19, the organization’s efforts are more crucial than ever. 

“We know that we are in a community that is very vulnerable … and that they would be extremely hard-hit,” Carroll said. “We needed to step in and just provide even more supplies and comfort and security.”

Read more about Carroll and the impact of recent events on the community:

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Related article Through violence, the pandemic, and the fight against injustice, the 'Peace House' is providing comfort and resources for its Chicago community

Venezuela reported 1,281 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, the highest daily increase in infections, according to the country’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

The total number of confirmed cases in Venezuela stands at 8,725.

Rodriguez said there were 18 new Covid-19 related deaths on Thursday, raising the total number of confirmed fatalities since the start of the pandemic to 259. 

Venezuela has seen an increase in Covid-19 cases over the past few weeks. Thursday was the fourth day in a row the country reported its highest daily number of cases.

Japan reported 1,177 new cases of Covid-19 and 10 deaths on Thursday, according to the country’s health ministry.

The new infections bring Japan’s nationwide confirmed total to 52,929 cases, with 712 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

The number of deaths stands at 1,086, with 13 from the ship.

Thursday marks the first day in four days that the number of daily cases has risen back over 1,000.

On Thursday, the capital Tokyo counted 206 new infections, while Osaka had 177 cases.

Okinawa prefecture, which has the highest number of infections per capita, extended its own state of emergency for another two weeks, while adding 97 new infections.

Dr. Scott Atlas listens as President Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, DC on August 10.

An advisor to President Donald Trump on coronavirus has said that “young people are not at risk for serious disease” from Covid-19.

 Dr. Scott Atlas made the comments to Martha MacCallum Thursday night on Fox News.

Fact check: Adults are more likely to become seriously ill from Covid-19, but children can get sick, and have serious complications. 

Rare complications: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported at least 570 cases of children with MIS-C, a rare but serious coronavirus complication in children that has been associated with fever, rash, inflammation and shock. Ten of those children died.

Increased virus rates in kids: There has been a 90% increase in the number of Covid-19 cases among children in the United States over the last four weeks, according to an analysis by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association released this week. 

Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand on August 14.

New Zealand reported 12 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the country’s top health official announced today. 

All the new cases were locally transmitted, New Zealand’s Director General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said at a press conference. 

Two of the new cases were students while one case was a pre-school student. 

The two schools and the pre-school the students attended have been closed while close contacts are being traced, according to Bloomfield. 

A total of 771 close contacts of the reported Covid-19 cases this week have been identified by the national contact tracing service, he added.  

Bloomfield also announced that 15,703 coronavirus tests were conducted on Thursday alone – the highest in a single day in New Zealand since the outbreak began, bringing the total number of tests conducted across the country to 524,414. 

Read more on the situation in New Zealand.

People on the shore watch The Tribute in Light shining into the sky over Manhattan's skyline on September 11, 2019.

New York City’s “Tribute in Light” that honors victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum announced Thursday.

The memorial features two blue beams of light, consisting of 88 searchlights reaching 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) into the sky, that resemble the shape of the Twin Towers near the World Trade Center site.

The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs’ star running back, Damien Williams, is opting out in the 2020 NFL season in part because his mom is fighting stage 4 cancer and he is worried he may expose her to Covid-19 if he plays.

Calling his mother his “rock,” he said she has been a constant presence throughout his career and suggested it could be difficult to play without her by his side.

“This is the perfect time to be with my mommy and spend time with her,” he told Anderson Cooper.

Williams, who is one of three Kansas City players to opt out so far, said that his mother was the champion of their family growing up and that it’s now his turn to shoulder some of the responsibility.

Williams acknowledged that after dedicating his life to football, it will be quite difficult to observe the season from home, but he added that he will be watching and wishes the best for his teammates and the season.

“I just feel like it was something I had to do. It’s gong to be hard to watch, but I am cheering at home,” he said. “… I’m excited just to see the season start and I am praying that it finishes.”

Mexico’s Health Ministry on Thursday reported 7,371 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the country’s total to 505,751.

The ministry also reported 627 new deaths, bringing the total death toll to 55,293.

An ensemble forecast published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now projects nearly 189,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by Sept. 5.

The new projections, published Thursday, forecast 188,982 deaths, with a possible range of 181,375 to 201,431 deaths.

Some context: Unlike some individual models, the CDC’s ensemble forecast only offers projections about a month into the future.

The previous ensemble forecast, published Aug. 6, projected roughly 181,000 coronavirus deaths by Aug. 29.

At least 167,029 people have already died from Covid-19 in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

America needs to get control of Covid-19 and carefully reopen the country, or the consequences could be devastating, Dr. Anthony Fauci told actor Matthew McConaughey in an interview on Instagram Thursday.

Fauci emphasized the importance of acting in a measured, prudent way. He noted that we have seen the consequences of jumping over the guideposts that have been established for safe reopening.

“It goes beyond the economics,” said Fauci. “If you shut down, even if there was no economic issue, what happens is that psychologically, it could be devastating.” 

“If you’re really shut down, children may not get their vaccinations. People don’t go to hospitals when they get chest pain,” he added. “There’s a lot of different things that could go wrong, beyond the economy.”

Fauci gave another grim warning.

“In fact, there’s projections that if you stay shut down, the number of deaths unrelated to Covid will go up,” he said. “The number of suicides, overdoses, family issues, such as child abuse and things like that, they all go up.”

Fauci said that he believes the country can come together to overcome the virus.

“I’m old enough to have been a baby during World War II, but I remember how the country absolutely pulled together. We pulled together after 9/11. This is equivalent to that,” he said. “We’ve got to pull together.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, described during a Facebook Live on Thursday how communities could approach reopening schools for in-person learning.

“We have now designations like green, which means less than 5% test positivity and less than 10 individuals per 100,000 who are infected,” said Fauci. “Then there’s yellow, which is 5 to 10% case positivity, with 10 to 100 cases per 100,000. And then there’s red, which is greater than 10% positive on testing and greater than 100 per 100,000 individuals.”

Fauci said those who are in the green and yellow zones should still take precautions when reopening schools.

“If you’re in the green zone, with somewhat impunity, you can feel good about sending kids back. If you’re in a yellow zone, you’ve got to make sure the schools have the capability of mitigating any risk of infection,” he said. 

Fauci said important precautions include wearing masks, opening windows and having susceptible children work remotely.

“The best way to open the schools, is to get where you live closer to the green than to the red,” he added.

Fewer-than-usual people are seen at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 29, amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Hawaii has reported its highest single-day case count of Covid-19 with 355 cases, according to a release from the Hawaii Covid-19 Joint Information Center today. 

The state’s health department has also reported at least 86 new Covid-19 cases, which are part of an existing cluster at the Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC).

At least 116 cases of Covid-19 are attributable to the facility. There are 24 staffers and 92 inmates who have tested positive for Covid-19, according to health investigators.

Note: These numbers were released by Hawaii’s Covid-19 Joint Information Center, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

US workers could save $150 billion between September and December of 2020 due to President Trump’s executive action of a payroll tax deferral. But workers may have to pay back the money in 2021, according to an analysis by the Anderson Economic Group released Thursday. The payroll tax is used to fund Social Security.  

The President does not have the authority to eliminate the payroll tax even for a short period, but Congress does, the group says. Unless Congress altogether eliminates the payroll tax from September to December, Americans will likely owe the deferred funds in 2021 when they’re are doing their taxes.

Americans can expect to save between $1,000 and $2,000 per month with the payroll tax deferral, the group estimates.

But ceasing contributions to Social Security, “even for a short period, would have a negative impact on a system that is already on shaky ground financially,” said Brian Peterson, director of Public Policy & Economic Analysis at the Anderson Economic Group. The Social Security Administration estimates that the fund is on pace to run out in 2035, without taking the effects of Covid-19 into account.

NCAA President Mark Emmert says that no fall sports championships can happen due to lack of participation among schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The only exception is “FBS football,” he said.

The College Football Playoff (CFP) serves as the championship event for FBS football which brings in millions of dollars to the NCAA and participating institutions. The CFP said in a news release on Thursday that the committee will continue with their process without the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences. 

“We don’t know right now what the season will bring, but as a committee, we are ready to use the protocol and the expertise of the 13 people who have been charged with selecting the teams,” said Gary Barta, Iowa’s athletic director and CFP committee chair, said in a statement.

“The committee’s task is to rank the teams based on what happens on the field. This week gave us a great chance to catch up with the familiar faces and welcome our three new members to the process. If the board and management committee say we are having a CFP, we will be ready,” the statement added.

Georgia’s health department has reported 2,674 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday.  

The statewide Covid-19 total is now 228,668.

The department also reported 83 new coronavirus-related deaths, which brings the total in the state to 4,538.  

According to the department of health, the state reported 136 deaths Tuesday – its most in a single day since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic – and another 109 deaths Wednesday.

Note: These numbers were released by the Georgia Department of Public Health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

The presence of ongoing symptoms after coronavirus recovery is “very disturbing,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told actor Matthew McConaughey in an interview on Instagram on Thursday.

Fauci said that although health experts are learning more about the virus every week, there is much that is still unknown. 

“It’s very disturbing, because if this is true for a lot of people, then just recovering from this may not be OK.” 

Grace Community Church

A Los Angeles megachurch that has remained open despite state guidelines ordering indoor worship services closed is suing the state over what they believe are unfair Covid-19 restrictions. 

The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday on behalf of Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church named California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, among others. 

The suit accuses the state government officials of selectively restricting gatherings and interfering with their religious freedom.

Some context: Last month, Newsom ordered churches, gyms, shopping malls and other businesses to close indoor operations in counties on the state’s watch list as coronavirus infections surged in a state that has seen more than 10,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The 38 counties on the state’s watch list make up more than 90% of the state’s population.

The governor’s order came after outbreaks of the coronavirus were traced to multiple houses of worship that had previously remained open. Under the governor’s order, however, churches are allowed to continue holding services outdoors and many have since moved ceremonies online. 

Becerra’s office referred CNN to the governor’s office for comment. Spokespersons for Newsom did not immediately respond.

MacArthur told CNN on Tuesday, roughly 6,000 people had attended services at Grace Community Church in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley over the past couple of weeks and alleged that church-goers don’t “buy the deadly narrative” surrounding Covid-19. 

The church could face a fine of $1,000 per day for violating health orders.

Adm. Dr. Brett Giroir

There is a national strategy for testing and it’s working, Adm. Dr. Brett Giroir said.

He said that they take 40% of the Abbott supply chain and deliver it to public health labs around the country, and when it comes to supplies, Giroir said they take orders from every state for swabs and tubes of media, and “deliver exactly what they want, every single day.”   

“I do want to be clear about this: not every laboratory can get the exact reagent they want. I’ve tried to be clear about this all along,” Giroir said.

As far as supplies used for other tests, Giroir said, “Those generic kind of things we are aware of and are working on.” 

Giroir said the Department of Defense and others are working with manufacturers to dramatically increase the supply and they will work on anything else that “pops up.” 

Gov. Chris Sununu

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, along with Lori Shibinette, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, announced new reopening recommendations for long-term care facilities with the goal of gradually reducing restrictions at facilities.

Shibinette laid out the four phases within the reopening recommendations. They are…

Visitors who will be allowed to visit residents in phase 2 and 3 of the reopening plan will not have to be tested for Covid-19 prior to the visit, said Shibinette, who added that the guidance for the visit will be enough to protect residents.

As of now, facilities in Coos, Grafton and Merrimack counties will be able to enter phase 3 in 14 days if they maintain their progress, said Shibinette. She also emphasized that if cases start to go up in any county, reopening long-term care facilities can and will be scaled back.

The latest numbers: The state reported at least 34 new Covid-19 cases as well as two new deaths. The governor said there are no new hospitalizations and the statewide positivity rate is around 1%.

Note: The numbers listed were released by the New Hampshire governor’s office and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project. 

President Trump said Thursday that he’s looking into potentially delivering an in-person speech at the United Nations General Assembly this year, despite the pandemic.  

“Yeah, I’m thinking about going directly to the UN to do the speech. A lot of people will not because of Covid, will not be able to be there, as you know. But I think it’s appropriate, if we can do it’ll do it directly,” Trump said during a White House press briefing. 

This year’s UNGA session is scheduled for late September and marks the 75th anniversary of the general assembly. 

The President said that this year’s general assembly “will not be like in the past because some countries won’t be able to escape the problems they’re having.”  

Dario Vivas speaks during a session of the National Assembly on September 24, 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela.

Venezuelan politician Dario Vivas died from Covid-19, the country’s attorney general Tarek William Saab announced Thursday on Twitter. 

“With profound sadness, we receive the news that our good friend Dario Vivas passed away,” William Saab tweeted. 

Vivas was a veteran of the government of embattled president Nicolas Maduro, a congressman since 2006 and served as chief of staff of Venezuela’s Capital District since January 2020. 

Vivas had been on a US Treasury sanctions list since 2017. 

He announced to Venezuelan media he had contracted Covid-19 on July 19.

At least eight other government officials have tested positive in Venezuela, including Vice President Jorge Rodriguez and Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami.  

Venezuela has currently at least 29,088 reported Covid-10 cases and approximately 247 deaths so far, according to the Maduro government. 

Cemetery workers bury the coffin of a woman who reportedly died from COVID-19 at a cemetery in Medellin, Colombia, on August 12.

Colombia’s health ministry reported 11,286 new cases from Covid-19 on Thursday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 433,805.

The ministry also reported 308 new Covid-19 deaths, bringing the total to 14,145.

Colombia’s capital, Bogotà, remains the biggest hotspot in the country with 149,944 reported cases.

Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces disinfect the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the attraction on August 15, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 13.

Brazil reported at least 60,091 new cases from Covid-19 on Thursday, bringing the total confirmed cases to approximately 3,224,876, according to the health ministry.

The ministry also reported at least 1,262 new fatalities, bringing the total death toll to approximately 105,463. 

This is the third highest single-day total since the pandemic began. Brazil recorded at least 69,074 cases on July 29 and at least 67,860 on July 22.

The Judicial Council of California voted to extend temporary emergency rules preventing evictions and foreclosures until Sept. 1.

The moratorium on evictions was first implemented in early April when job loss was skyrocketing as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This extra time provided by the council “will give us some time working with the legislature to enact an extension of those moratoriums in the needs of millions of Californians that are feeling stress and anxiety in that space,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.

A possible solution: One idea being worked out is an immediate distribution of the state’s $300 million from the national mortgage settlement.

Newsom said the initial plan was to dispense those funds out over several years, with a distribution of $75 million in 2020. In this crisis, Newsom wants to accelerate that spending to address the immediate needs of vulnerable homeowners and renters, he said.

“We are committed to getting something done over the course of the next few weeks on eviction protections and addressing multiple renters, and small landlords as well,” Newsom said.

Gov. Tate Reeves

In a news conference on Thursday, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said he would be issuing guidance over the next several days on extracurricular activities at schools, particularly high school football games. 

Reeves said that while six counties in the state give cause for concern, almost 70 counties in the Mississippi have seen a decline in Covid-19 numbers.

“That is an exceptionally positive trend that we got to build on,” he said. “That is the reason that you will see us, over the next several days, probably come out with guidance as it relates to extracurricular activities at our schools, particularly high school football games,” Reeves said.

The latest numbers: Mississippi reported a total of at least 69,986 Covid-19 cases, with approximately 2,011 coronavirus-related deaths in the state. 

Note: These numbers were released by the Mississippi Department of Health, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

Stanford University is canceling almost all in-person classes this fall, according to a letter to the community from Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne.

The president says in his letter the decision comes with “great regret” but that the public health situation due to Covid-19 does not make it feasible for students to return to campus.

Here’s what the letter said: 

Stanford is also suspending plans to provide housing for first year, sophomore, and new transfer students in the fall, he said. However, existing undergraduates with approved special circumstances will be allowed. 

The university is located in Santa Clara County which is one of the 38 counties on California’s “watch list” for reopening.

Approximately 16,000 students attend Stanford.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said schools that are planning to reopen “at a time when we know there are going to be a lot of families and a lot of kids going into quarantine,” should make sure they recognize how traumatic quarantine can be for those children.

The governor brought up the subject after discussing how his Covid-19 scare had affected his own children, who asked if Beshear and his wife were going to die, whether they themselves were going to die, and about who would care for them if the governor and his wife were to die.

A COVID-19 vaccination is prepared at Research Centers of America on August 07, 2020 in Hollywood, Florida. Research Centers of America is currently conducting COVID-19 vaccine trials, implemented under the federal government's Operation Warp Speed program.

Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, said he expects “interim, high-level recommendations” from the National Academy of Sciences on who should get priority for Covid-19 vaccinations by Labor Day.  

After recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences are submitted, they will be reviewed by the US Center for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

“We will then, when we get down to the real point of having a vaccine that’s been proved safe and effective, make those recommendations about how that should be prioritized. So I think it’s a pretty good plan. We’re thinking ahead, recognizing that we are going to be in a better place than anybody almost ever has been with a new vaccine, where you already have a lot of doses, but you still have to be thoughtful about how to choose the priorities in the first few months until we can immunize everybody,” Collins said.

A worker with CleanHarbors sprays disinfectant inside a Marin County Fire Department ambulance on April 14 in Greenbrae, California.

The number of people dying from Covid-19 every day in California remains high, despite a decline in cases and hospitalizations. The 14-day positivity rate has also dropped to under 6% for the first time since June 28.

Yet the state reported another 160 fatalities today, bringing the state’s total to at least 10,648, according to the California Department of Public Health. 

Deaths have been in the triple digits nearly every day for the past two weeks, including Aug. 1, when the state reported at least 219 deaths – the most recorded in a single day.

In recent days, California’s data has been plagued with errors in its electronic lab reporting system. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the errors have been resolved, but daily case updates will include a backlog of previously unreported cases which will be reallocated to the date to which they belong.

Today’s case report added at least 7,085 new cases. It is unclear how many of those were actually recorded within the most recent 24-hour reporting period.

Newsom expressed optimism about the latest trends, saying Wednesday they are an indication that California “is turning the corner on this pandemic.”

Dr. Francis Collins testifies during a hearing on Operation Warp Speed on July 2 on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, said the United States should not expect to see an approved vaccine by October – a reference to speculation that President Trump could prematurely rush a vaccine through the regulatory process prior to Election Day.

“So again, I would not expect to see, on the basis of what we know, scientifically, that we’d be at the point where FDA would have the chance to make such a judgment until considerably later than October first. Maybe November, December would be my best bet,” she added.

Collins, who was joined on the call by Paul Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy for the US Department of Health and Human Services, said that Operation Warp Speed is still on track to deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective Covid-19 vaccine no later than January 2021.

The mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, is extending the city’s coronavirus state of emergency into the beginning of next year.

Emergency orders now will be in effect until at least Jan. 16.

The extension was signed by Mayor Quinton Lucas, requiring most people to continue wearing face coverings while in public places and capping crowds at bars to 50% capacity.

“Until there’s a widely available vaccine, Covid-19 is here to stay—with serious potential health consequences for those infected,” Lucas wrote.

Some context: Kansas City, Missouri, has seen a dramatic spike in Covid-19 cases, according the city’s health department, with a one-day record of 249 new cases reported on Monday.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said that in just over six months, the state’s Covid-19-related death toll has surpassed 1,000 people. 

The governor also discussed the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 in Wisconsin. 

“The infection rate for Latinx Wisonsonites is over five times that of white Wisconsinites,” he said. “And Black Wisconsinites are experiencing a death rate over four times higher than their white counterparts.” 

Asked if he is considering any statewide restrictions pertaining to schools in general, Evers said, “At this point in time, I don’t see the need for any kind of order.”

Adm. Brett Giroir, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said on Thursday that people should not get hung up on a number, when asked if there was a number of tests that the US should be doing.

“We are doing the appropriate amount of testing now to reduce the spread, flatten the curve, save lives – because it’s not the number,” Giroir said during a call with reporters organized by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

They are trying to ensure that sick people who need to be tested are tested, protecting vulnerable and high-risk populations, and supporting public health testing in areas where it is important to test a lot of asymptomatic people, he said.

“Don’t get hung up on a number,” Giroir said. “The people who are peddling numbers are spectators, not part of the system. They do not understand how this should be strategically used.”

Giroir said they have proven “time and time again” that doing strategic testing in support of good policy works.

“A number is meaningless unless it’s used appropriately,” he said.

Giroir did, however, say he supports providing supplies so that at least 2% of the population can be tested per month, because it helps to be able to detect outbreaks, which is usually done by a percent positivity.

The trading day was nothing to write home about, as stocks finished the day the way they started it: mixed. The S&P 500 once again neared its February record close, but it eventually ended the day in the red, down 0.2%.

The headline number on initial jobless claims dropped below 1 million for the first time since mid-March, which economists believe to be a good sign even as the American jobs recovery still has a long road ahead.

Here’s where things finished:

The United States Capitol is seen on August 6 in Washington.

Republicans and Democrats have been angrily bickering for weeks over a new economic stimulus package that has bitterly divided the two parties as millions wait for badly needed relief from Washington amid the worsening coronavirus crisis. 

But there is a hardening bipartisan consensus about this: Any new measure will almost certainly have to wait at least until September to become law – and that’s being optimistic.

Here’s why: While leaders in both chambers say their members can come back within 24 hours to cast a vote, the reality on Capitol Hill means that the process to draft, review and consider any legislation will take much longer than that. The next two weeks will be dominated by party conventions, taking time and focus away from negotiating any deal.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, herself, will be in California for at least part of the week as the Democrats formally nominate Joe Biden as their party’s nominee. The following week, the GOP will be consumed with renominating President Trump. 

Yet even if they spoke by phone during that time period and agreed to the outlines of a deal, it would take many days for staff to draft the legislative language of such a vast proposal, a process that some believe could take up to a week or more given both its sweeping size and the fraught negotiations that would undoubtedly continue over the finer points of the bill. 

And once the bill is drafted, it would go through the slog of the legislative process, and members would need some time to review it and be briefed on the details. In the House, the Rules Committee would have to meet and consider the bill and set the parameters for floor debate. In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would have to take the procedural steps necessary to take the bill up and cut off debate once it passed the House. 

Under the speediest scenario, just the process of voting on the bill alone could take about a week. 

But it could be slowed down, particularly in the Senate, if any senator were to object to speeding up consideration. And that would almost certainly happen – given the staunch opposition voiced by a number of Republicans over passing a package north of $1 trillion. 

And all that means the soonest Congress would act almost certainly would be early-mid September – and only after the White House and Democrats reached a consensus.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies before a House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing on July 31 in Washington.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Americans need to think about returning to some sort of normalcy as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

It is a challenge, but “you can’t interrupt your life, totally, indefinitely. You’ve got to try to safely get back to normal,” he said.

“I think people, sometimes, they go to one extreme versus the other. Either you’re going to lock yourself in a closet, or you’re going to be out partying with no mask,” he said. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

Fauci said, every night he and his wife go for a four-mile jog. Fauci donned his mask, but kept it below his mouth and nose, along his jawline. Fauci said he then can freely chat with his wife.

“If I see 50 yards ahead, someone coming, I go like that,” Fauci said, pulling up his mask to cover his nose and mouth. “You don’t need to be locked down outside.”

Ampoules containing a vaccine component pass through a packaging machine in Zelenograd, Russia, on Friday.

Russian officials in Moscow have told CNN that they have offered “unprecedented cooperation” with Operation Warp Speed, the US multi-agency body set up to accelerate access to effective Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.  

But the officials have said that the “US is not currently open” to the Russian medical advances.  

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday that President Trump has been briefed on the new Russian vaccine. She said that American vaccines go through “rigorous” phase 3 testing and high standards.

Other US officials told CNN the Russian vaccine is considered so half-baked in the United States that it hadn’t even piqued US interest in a serious way before the rollout.

“There’s no way in hell the US tries this (Russian vaccine) on monkeys, let alone people,” one US government public health official said.   

Russian officials tell CNN that Russia is open to sharing information about vaccine and that it would allow US pharmaceutical companies to produce the Russian vaccine on American soil.     

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at a news conference announcing expanded statewide testing on Monday.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is withdrawing his lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the City Council regarding restrictions Atlanta put in place over coronavirus, including a citywide mask mandate. 

In a written statement, the governor said he would instead address the issue in a new executive order this Saturday. 

Kemp referenced Bottoms concession on the city’s phase one roll-back plan, but said she refused to compromise any further in mediation. 

“The Governor’s current Executive Order expires this Saturday, August 15, at which time he will issue a new order with relevant language,” according to the statement.

A Cherokee County parent has written an open letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, asking him not to “turn a blind eye” to the school district.

Some context: Heath is the mother of two children who attended face-to-face classes in the Cherokee County School District earlier this week. She has since pulled her kids back to distance learning. 

In her letter to Georgia’s governor, Heath claims that Kemp is not doing enough to protect the members of their community.  

“I ask you Mr. Kemp how you could possibly feel like the district of Cherokee County is doing a good job protecting not only our students but teachers,” Heath wrote.  

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, speaks in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden emerged from his and Sen. Kamala Harris’ coronavirus health briefing from experts Thursday afternoon advocating that a mask mandate be instituted nationwide. 

“It’s not about your rights,” Biden said, seeming to speak directly to Americans who have complained that compulsory mask wearing is a violation of their personal freedom. “It’s about your responsibilities as an American.”

“Be a patriot. Protect your fellow citizens,” he implored. “Protect your fellow citizens. Step up. Do the right thing.” 

Biden provided a quick readout of the public health briefing at the top of his remarks, noting that he and Harris spoke with the experts about school reopenings, the distribution of a vaccine, racial disparities that have become expounded as a result of the pandemic, as well as the continued lack of personal protective equipment for health professionals and testing capacity in the US.

The presumptive Democratic nominee has previously said he would support mandating mask-wearing nationally, but this is the first time he has presented the recommendation himself. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pauses during a television interview on Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will adjourn for its August recess Thursday despite not reaching an agreement on a Covid-19 stimulus bill. 

The senior senator from Kentucky said the Senate will hold its usual pro forma sessions throughout the “state work period,” which ends Sept. 8, but that if a stimulus deal is reached, there would need to be bipartisan consent to allow the Senate to return to vote on it.

If that were to happen, senators would be given 24 hours’ notice to return.  

Adm. Brett Giroir testifies during a House subcommittee meeting in July.

On a call with reporters Thursday, Adm. Brett Giroir, a member of the White House coronavirus task force and the Trump official overseeing coronavirus testing, said he was concerned about data misrepresenting where he believes the United States to be in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Giroir asserted it is clear that the number of cases are decreasing and “that decrease is real.”

He said that the seven day average of new cases, compared with the previous seven days, is down 9%.

Giroir is confident, he said, because percent positivity is going down and hospitalizations are going down. Mortality, however, is lagging – and that is because it is a lagging indicator.

The second point Giroir made, which he said he had often seen misrepresented, is the number of tests that are needed.

“You beat the virus by smart policies supplemented by strategic testing. You do not beat the virus by shotgun testing everyone all the time,” he said.

Strategic testing involves making sure everyone sick in the hospital gets tested rapidly, the vulnerable are protected, public health surveillance is supported when necessary, and that reopening is being supported with a number of different measures.

A group of parents are suing California Gov. Gavin Newsom over in-person school restrictions. Christine Ruiz has two sons with autism, and she said that without specialized learning, they are falling behind.

The lawsuit is alleging that students will not receive equal access to education.

Ruiz said her two sons with autism are “hands on learners” who work with a “highly educated special education teacher, professional behavioralists, speech therapists, occupational therapists and without that team to do that hands-on learning they’re just languishing at home.”

She worries about the regression she is seeing compounded with escalating behaviors and how that will impact the future outlook of her children.

Jesse Petrilla, another parent suing Gov. Newsom, added that the virtual learning restriction also creates a larger gap between the working class and affluent families.

“This creates such an inequality between the working class and affluent parents who can afford private schools, tutors or childcare,” Petrilla said. “We just believe the negative effects, far outweigh the risks.”

According to California’s county-by-county school reopening restrictions, the Covid-19 infection rate cannot be over 100 in 100,000. Currently, in the counties Ruiz and Petrilla live in, the infection rate is well above that threshold, Keilar reported.

Ruiz lives in Los Angeles County, which has 88 incorporated cities. She argues that there “should not be a blanket statement for all schools. The city I live in has low Covid numbers.”

Petrilla, who lives in Orange County, said, “We need a micro approach to this. This should be a local decision. There are districts that have no cases. There are districts that have very few cases, that wouldn’t meet that threshold.”

Watch the full interview:

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said if you look at the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the United States, “they don’t lie.”

Fauci said he hears a lot about herd immunity, but “a lot of people are going to die if you do that.”

“We can be part of the solution, as opposed to passively saying, just let it happen. I don’t find that to be acceptable,” he said. “We can do things without necessarily stopping all the things that are important. We can open the economy. We can get jobs back at the same time as still practicing good public health measures.”

Since the Trump administration asked hospitals to report its data directly to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Covid Tracking Project (CTP) has found the data to be “erratic,” “spotty and difficult to interpret.”

The change went into effect on July 15. CTP “compared the HHS’s counts of currently hospitalized Covid-19 patients, published from July 20 to August 5, to the same metric compiled by The Covid Tracking Project from each state’s publicly available data.” 

CTP collects data from all 50 states and US territories. CNN utilizes testing and hospitalizations data from the organization.

The organization found that in six states — Maine, Arkansas, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Delaware — “HHS data is, on average, at least 150 percent higher than the data from these states’ dashboards.” 

As a nation, from July 20-26, CTP found that “HHS reported an average of 24 percent more currently hospitalized patients nationwide than was reported by the states.”

HHS said it was taking over the hospitalization data because the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was posting the information too slowly. “Going forward, HHS and CDC will deliver more powerful insights on the coronavirus, powered by HHS Protect,” said Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Michael Caputo said in July. 

CTP noted that the switch “has likely been difficult for many hospitals.” HHS requires more data points to be reported and sometimes states have to fill-out two reports with the same data – one for the state and one for HHS. 

Some background: Nearly three dozen public health advisers sent a July letter to the US government saying they are extremely concerned” and “troubled” about the change in how hospitals report Covid-19 data. The letter said hospitals were “scrambling” to keep up with the daily Covid-19 reporting requirements to HHS. 

But CTP said reporting directly to HHS could be a good thing, “we expect hospitals to report more reliable information to the HHS than to their state health departments, or to report to only the HHS and not their state health departments, because the HHS-reported data is used to inform allocation of remdesivir, PPE, and other supplies.”

CTP will continue to track both sets of hospitalization data and remains optimistic that the data set will become more reliable over time. “Hospitalization data used to be a reliable metric demonstrating the stress Covid-19 is causing state health systems. Now, these data are spotty and difficult to interpret. We encourage states to be transparent about when they are encountering issues with hospital reporting and why,” CTP said.

Joe Biden and his running mate, US Sen. Kamala Harris, are briefed by health experts on Thursday.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris received their first joint health briefing from experts on Covid-19 Thursday.

“This is what I get four times a week, a briefing on the state of the coronavirus and what we should and shouldn’t be doing,” Biden told reporters ahead of their meeting.

Harris added that she was “looking forward to it.” 

Asked by a reporter how the first few days have gone with Harris on the ticket, Biden replied, “It’s been great.” 

“It’s been great. It’s been great, she and her husband and — Jill and her husband were friends before this and I think have become closer friends. We had a great, great day but we’re going to talk today,” Biden said. 

Watch:

Illinois has surpassed 200,000 total Covid-19 positive cases, with an additional 1,834 new cases being reported today by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The state now has a total of 200,427 cases with a 4% positivity rate being reported over the past seven days. 

There are 24 new deaths being reported today, bringing that total to 7,696.

Hospitalizations have increased the past few days, with 1,628 hospitalized with 383 in intensive care units due to the virus.

Note: These numbers were released by the Illinois Department of Public Health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

Dr. Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies before a House subcommittee in May.

There are weaknesses at every level of public health in the US, and there needs to be a reset in the approach to it, said Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and current CEO of Resolve to Save Lives.

Some of these weaknesses are the result of decades of underfunding, he said, and some due to difficulties at the intersection of public health and health care systems.

“But we need to move forward,” Frieden said. “We need to make sure that we never again are this underprepared for an emergency.”

Even in years that don’t have emergencies, there are still a number of health care problems that need to be addressed, such as outbreaks and preventable illnesses.

“There’s so much that we can do, if we rely on, invest in and improve public health,” he said.

This is why Frieden said he believes there needs to be a fundamental change to the funding of public health programs.

Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during a National Geographic panel on Thursday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said Thursday that he was not pleased with the state of the pandemic in the US.

“Bottom line is, I’m not pleased with how things are going,” he said during a National Geographic panel.

Fauci said states such as California, Florida, Texas and Arizona have turned their situations around and they are “having now, less deaths, less hospitalizations, less cases.”

But he warned it’s not all good news across the country.

“We know now, from sad past experience, that that’s a predictor that you’re going to have more surges,” he said.

A new survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that almost 41% of respondents are struggling with mental health issues stemming from the coronavirus pandemic – both related to the pandemic itself and the measures put in place to contain it, including physical distancing and stay-at-home orders.

The findings were reported Thursday in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the CDC.

In an online survey of more than 5,400 adults living in the US conducted during the last week of June, 40.9% of respondents reported at least one mental or behavioral health condition:

But the mental health issues were not shouldered equally by everyone.

For example, at least one adverse mental or behavioral health symptom was reported by 75% of 18-to-24 year olds, 52% of 25-to-44 year olds, 52% of Hispanics, as well as 54% of essential workers, 67% of unpaid caregivers for adults, and 66% of those with less than a high school diploma. The percentage among those with existing mental health conditions was even higher.

And the percentage of those who reported having seriously considered suicide in the 30 days before completing the survey was significantly higher among respondents age 18-24 (25.5%), Hispanics (18.6%) and Blacks (15.1%), self-reported unpaid caregivers for adults (30.7%), and essential workers (21.7%).

In all, while symptoms of mental or behavioral health conditions varied significantly among subgroups, unpaid caregivers for adults fared the worst.

These findings align with previous studies, which found symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders increased considerably in the US between April and June of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.

The study authors concluded: “Periodic assessment of mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation should evaluate the prevalence of psychological distress over time. Addressing mental health disparities and preparing support systems to mitigate mental health consequences as the pandemic evolves will continue to be needed urgently.”

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, attends a campaign event with his running mate, US Sen. Kamala Harris, on Wednesday.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are set to appear together in Delaware for a second consecutive day for a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.

The two are set to receive a Thursday briefing from a panel of public health experts assembled by Biden’s campaign.

Biden has for months been receiving private briefings from a group of health experts who are advising his campaign on pandemic policies, as well as whether and how the former vice president can hold in-person events.

That briefing will be followed by speeches from Biden and Harris, who was offered and accepted the Democratic vice presidential nod on Tuesday and campaigned in person with Biden for the first time on Wednesday in Wilmington.

Biden and Harris both used speeches Wednesday to hammer President Trump over his handling of the pandemic.

Harris contrasted the coronavirus pandemic, which has left more than 166,000 Americans dead and caused more than 5 million cases in the United States, with Ebola during former President Barack Obama and Biden’s administration, which resulted in two deaths.

Biden has long called for Trump to drastically escalate the production of protective medical equipment by invoking the Defense Production Act. He has also said he would rapidly expand coronavirus testing and supplies, and make all coronavirus-related medical care free.

Read more about today’s event here.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, speaks during a news conference on Thursday.

The Covid-19 pandemic costs an estimated $375 billion a month globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, based on information from the International Monetary Fund.

During a Thursday news conference, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-deneral, said, “IMF estimates the pandemic costs the global economy 375 billion US dollars a month, and predicts a cumulative loss to the global economy over two years of over 12 trillion US dollars.”

“The world has already spent trillions dealing with the short term consequences of the pandemic,” Tedros added.

Tedros said that funding the WHO’s ACT Accelerator is “the best economic stimulus the world can invest” in. 

“The accelerator is the only up and running global initiative that brings together all the global research and development manufacturing regulatory purchasing and procurement needed for all the tools required to end the pandemic,” he added.

An employee works with a coronavirus vaccine in this photo provided by the Russian Direct Investment Fund on August 6.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, senior adviser of the director-general of the World Health Organization, said there is not “sufficient information at this point to make a judgement” on the Russian vaccine that was announced this week.

Speaking during a World Health Organization briefing on Thursday, Aylward said, “we’re currently in conversation with Russia to get additional information, understand the status of that product, the trials that have been undertaken, and then what the next steps might be.”

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the approval of a coronavirus vaccine, claiming it as a “world first,” despite continued concern and questions over its safety and effectiveness.

Florida State University wide receiver Warren Thompson has accused the school’s athletics department of lying “multiple times” about player health conditions during the first week of football camp.

Warren made the accusations in a letter posted on Instagram:

“Being a Student Athlete is difficult during this time and the proper leadership regarding these problems does not exist. During this entire week of camp I have been lied to multiple times about the conditions of other players health as well as mine,” Warren said.

When asked about what Thompson had posted, FSU coach Mike Norvell said during a previous scheduled media availability, “It’s obviously disappointing to see what was said. We’ve been very open and transparent throughout this process.”

Some of Thompson’s teammates disagreed with his critical Instagram post.

Defensive back Asante Samuel tweeting, “I feel safe coming to practice everyday because of the protocols FSU has in place !!!” Marvin Wilson, Seminoles defensive tackle, tweeted “I feel safe with what @FSUFootball is doing for us through this pandemic and keeping us safe. Let’s play some football.”

FSU is scheduled to play their first game on Sept. 12 against Georgia Tech.

CNN has reached out to the university for comment.

People in Lima, Peru, wait in line to refill oxygen tanks on August 3.

Peru’s President Martin Vizcarra announced new lockdown measures after the country has seen an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases during the month of July.

“We must stop the transmission” Vizcarra added.

Vizcarra issued an official decree that orders six more regions and 34 provinces placed under localized lockdown. The regions are Arequipa, Ica, Junin, Huanuco, San Martin and Madre de Dios.

The government previously eased the country’s lockdown measures on July 1 while imposing localized lockdowns for seven of Peru’s 24 regions.

The president also ordered the return of “mandatory immobilization” across the country on Sundays.

Social and family gatherings have been also banned. “Social and family gatherings are causing the increase in cases,” the President said asking Peruvians to stop family and sports reunions for now.

Vizcarra also announced that children under 14 will be allowed to go out for a walk within 500 meters of their homes for no more than 30 minutes a day, as long as accompanied by one adult.

“Transmission levels among children and teenagers have increased in 75% and that has caught our attention” the President said.

Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti told a local radio station that 81 children have died and 23,000 have been infected with coronavirus since the pandemic started.

Peru’s health ministry reported 8,875 new Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 498,555 on Wednesday evening. The death toll reached 21,713.

The state of emergency in the country remains in place until Aug. 31.

Workers bury bodies on Hart Island, a New York City public cemetery, in April.

A new study finds that the number of deaths in the early phase of the Covid-19 outbreak in New York City was comparable to the number of deaths in New York City from what was considered the deadliest pandemic to date – the flu pandemic of 1918 – at its peak.

The relative increase in deaths during the early period of the Covid-19 pandemic was actually substantially greater than during the peak of the 1918 pandemic, the study, published Thursday in JAMA Network Open, found.

Faust said that by comparing the first two months of the pandemic in New York to the worst two months of the pandemic in New York 100 years ago, the Covid-19 period had over 70% as many deaths per capita.

“Who knows what would be the case if we didn’t have modern ICUs and we couldn’t treat secondary infections with antibiotics or put people on ventilators or had oxygen,” Faust said. “If you compare these viruses side by side, without all the medical bells and whistles we have today, I’d say Covid-19 is worse.”

“We’ll never know that for sure, because thankfully now we have the ability to save more lives, but even with all our technology and medical progress, the death rate being 70% as bad as it was at the worst point in 1918, I think people don’t realize how serious this is,” Faust said.

The 1918 flu is estimated to have infected a third of the world’s population and caused approximately 50 million deaths between 1918 to April 1920. Just like the current pandemic, it impacted some communities more than others.

More on the study: This study only takes into account data that is specific to New York City. It cannot be used to characterize the extent of this pandemic in other cities or nationwide.

Faust said what he most wants people to take away from this study is the understanding of exactly how serious this pandemic is.

“We don’t need to wait until the end of it to look back and see that these events are similar in magnitude,” Faust said. “What I am driving home here is that if we don’t do something, if we don’t take this really seriously, we – very much a year from now – could be looking at those same numbers we saw from 1918.”

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaks during an interview on August 11.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has ordered a series of actions to address racial and ethnic disparities due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the city, her office announced in a news release.

According to the release, the mayor’s order directs the city’s chief health officer to:

The first town hall is scheduled for Oct. 10.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on August 13.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed Republicans amid stalled coronavirus stimulus negotiations Thursday, arguing the Trump administration does not care about the needs of the American people.

She added, “Unless they see the reality of what it means in the lives of the American people, what good is it for us to agree to something that has no relationship to meeting the needs of the American people?”

She reiterated her proposal for a $2 trillion bill, which would be a halfway point between the two sides.

“Let’s see how we can work together to get this done,” she said.

Asked when she will next meet with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Pelosi said she doesn’t know.

“When they come in with $2 trillion,” she said. But she reiterated her position that lawmakers cannot wait until the end of September, when government funding expires, to move on pandemic relief.

Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell speaks to members of the press at the Hart Senate Office Building August 4 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

With coronavirus stimulus relief talks stalled and not expected to resume, the partisan finger pointing on Capitol Hill continues. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell again blamed Democrats on the Senate floor today for Congress’ failure to strike a deal providing relief to the country amid the pandemic.

He said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is “throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.”

“People who have serious policy proposals that are fitted to actual needs cannot breezily knock off a trillion here, and add a trillion there,” McConnell added.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis leaves a news conference in Denver on June 24.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is extending the state’s mask order, he confirmed today through an email to CNN. 

The original mask mandate went into effect on July 16 and was scheduled to expire on Saturday, Aug.15.

 See which US states require people to wear masks when out in public here.

During Thursday’s news conference, New York City Mayor de Blasio was asked repeatedly about the calls from principals and teachers unions to delay the reopening of NYC schools and the many concerns voiced by school officials.

The mayor said that he was not planning to delay reopening at this time, and noted schools still have a month to prepare and put safety protocols in place.

At least 15% of teachers in the city public school systems have asked for a formal medical accommodation, certifying that they have a specific medical concerns that would keep them from returning in person at the start of the school year, de Blasio said.

The mayor said he is confident that the vast majority of teachers and administrators would come in and work in person in September, and repeatedly said he wouldn’t answer questions about what would happen if they refused to do so.

Coronavirus indicators continue to hold in the city, de Blasio said. There were 70 new hospitalizations reported, 282 individuals in the intensive care units across the city Health and Hospital system and the positivity rate remains at 1%.

Health care personnel work on disinfecting in San Cristóbal, Venezuela, on August 9.

Venezuela reported 1,150 new Covid-19 cases, a new daily record for the country, bringing the total number of cases to 29,088, Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Twitter on Wednesday evening.

At least 9 new deaths were also reported, bringing the country’s death toll to 247, according to data released by the government of embattled President Nicolas Maduro.

Covid-19 cases have increased in the last few weeks in Venezuela. Wednesday was the third day in a row the country reported a new daily increase record. 

At least nine government officials have tested positive for coronavirus, including Diosdado Cabello, vice president of the Socialist Party, and Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami. They have both recovered according to Venezuelan official media.

The Venezuelan opposition and international organizations have questioned the government’s capacity to report the virus, accusing Maduro of misrepresenting the dimensions of the crisis. 

Ohio teacher Marea Hodge set up a preschool-on-the-go, traveling to kids’ homes to make sure they don’t fall behind in learning.

Hodge taught a traditional preschool class in school for years, but the coronavirus pandemic has challenged school systems and governments alike on reopening.

“It’s very, very hard for parents to decide whether they want to send their kids,” she said. “I think that it’s important that even though they can’t send them in person, that they still get that education that they need. We don’t want our children to fall behind in any aspect.”

She added that she hopes the government looks into a program like this and gives preschool teachers resources or financial assistance to continue teaching.

Hodge also takes precautions like wearing a mask and washing her hands while traveling to these homes because the risk of contracting the virus and spreading it is high.

Watch the interview:

An order by the health commissioner in St. Louis, Missouri, goes into effect today that limits capacity of bars, restaurants and nightclubs to 50% occupancy and institutes an 11:00 p.m. closing time.

Bars and restaurants in the city have not had any orders regarding capacity limits or a curfew up until this order was signed. 

Fredrick Echols, who is the acting of health and hospitals and the health commissioner for the city, said that over 50% of the new positive cases are from people in their 20s and 30s. 

The intent of the order says it is to “ensure that the maximum number of people and businesses take prudent precautions to reduce the exposure to, and slow the spread of, Covid-19.” 

The city’s new order also states that large venues are required to reduce their capacity to 50% or less and states that all businesses should encourage employees to quarantine or isolate if they have or believe they have Covid-19 or have been exposed to the virus. 

The order is set to expire on Sept. 7. 

The southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa raised its alert over coronavirus infections to the highest of its four levels and extended its state of emergency Thursday, according to the Okinawa prefectural government.

Okinawa’s state of emergency, which was set to expire on Saturday, will be extended for two weeks until Aug. 29, the government said. 

The government has asked people to refrain from non-essential outings and dining in large groups and urged residents to go shopping alone. It also asked residents to refrain from going out after 10 p.m., local time particularly in nightlife areas. Businesses in Okinawa’s largest city, Naha, have been closing at 10 p.m. local time since Aug. 1 under government orders.

Latest figures: Okinawa reported 97 new cases on Thursday, bringing the prefecture’s total to 1,404. Three new infections were confirmed at US bases in Okinawa. Two cases were at Camp Courtney, while one case was reported at Camp Kadena. The total number of cases at US bases in Okinawa is 323, according to the government.

Japan recorded 974 new cases and four deaths on Wednesday, according to the country’s Ministry of Health, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases nationwide to 51,859.

Wednesday marks the third consecutive day that less than 1,000 new infections were recorded.

People walk past a public school in New York on July 8.

Every single New York City public school building will have a certified nurse working in the building when they reopen in the fall, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced at a news conference on Thursday morning.

City officials are working in conjunction with the NYC Health & Hospitals system (the city’s public hospital system) — which brought in additional personnel to the city at the height of the coronavirus crisis — to make sure that every school is staffed when schools reopen roughly a month from now.

The American Academy of Pediatrics on Thursday released three new sets of guidances on cloth face coverings for children, testing protocols for children, and personal protective equipment for pediatric medical providers amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

On face coverings: The AAP advises that cloth face coverings can be safely worn by all children over age 2. Apart from rare exceptions, children with underlying health conditions can safely wear face coverings, which both protect the children and reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the community.

On testing: The testing guidance offers recommendations to help providers determine when to test for Covid-19.

Scenarios that indicate the need for a test include children with symptoms, children who have been in close contact with someone with confirmed Covid-19, or those having elective surgery.

Due to the similarities in symptoms between flu and the coronavirus, it may be necessary to test to confirm a diagnosis of Covid-19. Having an understanding of the community spread of Covid-19 could help providers make the decision to test or not, the guidance says.

The guidance also offers details on things such as the types of tests that are available, and how to counsel families after receiving results.

On PPE: The guidance for PPE says that protocols for all practices should include appropriate levels of PPE, hand hygiene, cleaning of equipment and physical facilities, and efforts to promote physical distancing as much as possible. Staff at increased risk for severe Covid-19 should be offered the most protective level of PPE.

All facilities should have written protocols that are consistent with federal state and local guidelines.

Among other things, it also says that health care workers may also consider increasing their level of PPE when performing procedures that may produce spit, tears, gags or coughs, according to the guidance.

At a news conference Thursday morning in Mexico City, biotech firm AstraZeneca’s Executive Sylvia Varela said production for the Covid-19 vaccine will begin in 2021.

The Phase three trial will cover 50,000 people in England, the US, South Africa and Brazil, she said

 “It’s a non-profit strategy, our goal is to bring the vaccine to Mexico as soon as possible. We feel honored to produce a vaccine in Mexico for the Mexicans and Latin America,” Varela said, adding that the final cost of the vaccine should be no more than 4 US dollars.

 “The production line set here gives us a lower price than the ones we’ve seen in other countries. We don’t have the final cost because we’re still working on it, but it will be around USD 4; it shouldn’t exceed $4,” she said.

 Valera explained the agreement expects to set an equitable distribution across the region.

“We must try to set an equitable distribution in all the countries. Today we’re going to speak with the Latin American governments. They will decide their interest and purchase intention. Once we finish, we will prioritize vulnerable populations of each country to carry out this equitable access.”

“As you know, there are four memorandums of understanding for protocols of phase three in Mexico. The latest is this production agreement. When the authorities give permission, we will start producing it,” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said at Thursday’s press conference.

Ebrard added that governments will request vaccines for their countries and appreciated the support and coordination from Argentina. 

Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell said the vaccine will be “universal and at no cost in Mexico because that’s the Mexican government’s plan.”

Some background: The first agreement for a Covid-19 vaccine available for all countries in Latin America, except Brazil, was announced Wednesday evening when Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez said that the agreement signed between AstraZeneca and Mexican based Slim Foundation establishes the production of 150 to 250 million vaccines. The vaccines would be available for the first semester of 2021, he said.

The Mexican Foreign Minister referred to the access and distribution for the vaccine, saying, “It’s important to know that it’s a non-profit purpose; it’s that the region will have access to the vaccine. This will mean that the vaccine, instead of being distributed in Mexico in one year, will be distributed six or seven months ahead, which makes a difference for the economy and health.”

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow speaks to reporters outside the White House on August 12.

Speaking to reporters in the rain, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow wouldn’t speculate on whether a stimulus bill would be passed and when, but on payroll tax holiday, he told CNN’s Joe Johns that the President’s executive order will cover the self-employed and there would be a technical change to address that.

On Social Security, he said he thought Trump had been clear that the payroll tax deferral will be forgiven. He reiterated that Trump isn’t eliminating the payroll tax.

Asked why the President keeps calling the unemployment benefit $400, he reiterated it is $300 but “could be” $400 if states choose to add $100. 

On USPS and mail, he initially said it was out of his lane but President Trump was “very concerned about an election run totally by mail in ballots.” Pressed again on USPS funding, he said he didn’t think it was that simple and reiterated the potential for election fraud. 

 He didn’t seem to indicate that there would be stimulus talks today. 

Remember: Negotiations over the next stimulus package intended to bolster the economy and help struggling Americans pay their bills have stalled on Capitol Hill with Democrats and Trump administration officials walking away after talks broke down last Friday.

Trump tried to assert executive power by signing four actions on coronavirus relief last Saturday, one of which will provide as much as $400 in enhanced unemployment benefits.

The other three actions he signed include a memorandum on a payroll tax holiday for Americans earning less than $100,000 a year, an executive order on “assistance to renters and homeowners” and a memorandum on deferring student loan payments.

People visit Domino Park in Brooklyn, New York, on July 26.

A top federal health official issued a dire warning: Follow recommended coronavirus measures or risk having the worst autumn in US public health history.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield asked Americans Wednesday to do these “four simple things” for “their country right now and for the war that we’re in against” coronavirus:

“I’m not asking some of America to do it,” Redfield said in an interview with WebMD Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Whyte. “We all gotta do it.”

Redfield reiterated his warning that if Americans do not adhere to these recommendations, this could be “the worst fall, from a public health perspective, we’ve ever had.”

Redfield urged Americans to prepare for a difficult fall season by getting the flu vaccine.

“Please don’t to leave this important accomplishment of American medicine on the shelf for yourself, your family, your church, your workforce,” he said. 

“By getting vaccinated, you can protect your children,” Redfield added. “Clearly when we look at the mortality that we see with flu, one thing is for certain, the kids that get vaccinated, they basically get protected against death.”

Redfield said the CDC has purchased 10 million doses of the flu vaccine for uninsured adults this year, compared to the typical 500,000 doses. 

“Eventually this virus is going to have its day,” Redfield said of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. “It’s either going to infect a majority of the global population, or we’re going to have a biological countermeasure that’s going to be an effective vaccine.”

Phase three trials are currently underway for several coronavirus vaccine candidates.

“The high-risk individuals that we’re hoping this vaccine is used for are being included in these Phase three trials,” said Redfield.

Redfield said he is cautiously optimistic that the US will have one or more vaccines deployed by the start of 2021.

Wall Street was mixed at the opening bell on Thursday. The S&P 500, the broadest measure of the US stock market, remains very close to the record high it reached in February before the pandemic hit the United States.

On Wednesday, it closed just five points below that level. But judging by the open, today may not be the day for a record either.

Here is where things stood at opening:

Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies at a coronavirus hearing in Washington, DC, on July 2.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said that non-coronavirus public health initiatives have been sidetracked during the pandemic, in an interview with WebMD chief medical officer John Whyte on Wednesday.

Redfield said the “collateral damage” of the pandemic is evident in that public health officials have been forced to turn their focus away from issues such as preventing maternal mortality, addressing AIDS, treating people for Hepatitis C, and preventing tobacco use in children. 

“There are thousands and thousands of people working 24/7 on this pandemic,” Redfield said. “The fact is that, really, all of our focus is on this pandemic right now.”

Still, the pandemic has exposed the ways in which the nation’s public health capabilities have fallen short.

“We have some states that were down to less than 40, 30, 20 contact tracers,” Redfield said.

“We really haven’t invested, in this nation, in the core capabilities of public health,” he added. “Now is the time to invest in public health – data, data analytics, predictive data analysis, laboratory resilience in our public health labs, public health workforce.”

Redfield said we owe it to our children and grandchildren to make sure the nation is never this unprepared for a future public health crisis.

“This is the greatest public health crisis to hit this nation in a century,” Redfield said. “We were underprepared.”

A medic collects drops of blood at a Covid-19 testing station in Najaf, Iraq, on August 9.

On Thursday, Iraq’s Ministry of Health reported 3,841 new confirmed cases of coronavirus cases, the highest daily case number recorded since the start of the pandemic.

This brings the total number of cases in Iraq to 164,277 .

The health ministry also reported 53 Covid-19 related deaths. This brings the total number of deaths in Iraq to 5,641.

Two fellows from the Infectious Diseases Society of America said that when it comes to playing sports in the fall, it’s all about the risk – and there are two main ways to look at the same data.

Dr. Colleen Kraft, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, said, “There are a number of ways to approach complicated issues.”

Some conferences are trying a “dip your toe in and see what happens” approach, while others are not playing at all, Kraft said.

For those choosing to play, Kraft predicts coronavirus cases will pop-up. “They will be able to see the experience that many of the others of us have had, where there will be transmission, it will be difficult.”

Dr. Carlos del Rio, Executive Associate Dean at Emory University School of Medicine at Grady, said individuals assess risk all the time in our personal lives.

“I’m getting ready to cross the street and I see a car coming, I would do a rapid calculation. ‘Okay, I can stop and let the car go through, or I can run across the street,’” del Rio said.

 “Both are different decisions and one I stayed in one I go, but I decided it based on how much risk I was willing to take,” he added.

Nick Ford on CNN's "New Day" on August 13.

The Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences each voted to postpone college football and all their other fall sports seasons.

Nick Ford and Treyjohn Butler, Pac-12 conference football players, said the concerns about health and safety for themselves, their teammates and communities led them to push for coronavirus protections.

“It’s kind of disheartening that they did choose to end the season and everything because that’s not the fight we were pushing for. Do I approve of it? It’s a hard question to answer. Do I think it was the right or the safer call? I would agree and say yes,” said Ford, a University of Utah guard, in an interview with CNN’s “New Day.”

Treyjohn Butler on CNN's "New Day" on August 13.

Ford said that a uniform response to the virus should’ve already been in place for months. 

Butler, a Stanford University cornerback, said he’s concerned about athletes with underlying conditions and the lack of a clear testing strategy.

“We want to play football…but we want to do it safely,” he said. 

Watch:

The chief medical officer of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) said, “we’re moving into very troubled waters right now,” during a Thursday webinar.

“And it’s made it very challenging to make decisions as we approach fall sport,” he said.

“We’re moving into very troubled waters right now,” Hainline said. “It’s a very narrow path to get ball sports right.”

Deaths from the virus remain high in the US.

Coronavirus has infected more than 5 million people and killed over 166,000 in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University. On Wednesday alone, there were 55,910 reported new cases and 1,499 deaths — the highest number of fatalities since May.

Meanwhile, the seven-day average of daily coronavirus deaths was over 1,000 on Wednesday, the 17th consecutive day the US averaged over 1,000 deaths per day.

Adjusting for population, states in the Southeast are seeing the most new cases. Georgia and Florida — states led by Republican governors who have not issued face mask requirements — have the highest per capita new cases over the past seven days, followed by Alabama and Mississippi.

On Wednesday, Florida health officials announced more than 8,000 new case reports and 212 new deaths.

Track the virus in the US here.

Michael Hinojosa on CNN's "New Day" on August 13.

Classes in the Dallas Independent School District were supposed to start next Monday, but they’ve been moved to Sept. 8 as officials continue to monitor coronavirus cases. 

“The numbers in Texas and Dallas County are getting better, but we still don’t know exactly where we’re going to end up. And yes, our employees are scared to death, and so we’re trying to balance that,” Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said on CNN’s “New Day.” 

There is a meeting today with the school board, and 50 people have signed up to speak, according to Hinojosa.

The superintendent said that the district is working with the county health department in the case that cases spike up again while school is in session.

Watch:

A person fills out unemployment paperwork in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 15.

Another 963,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Department of Labor said Thursday.

This was the lowest number of weekly initial claims since the pandemic shut down the US economy. It is the first time in five months that fewer than 1 million have filed for first-time jobless benefits.

Economists say it’s encouraging that claims for unemployment are going down because it means people keep returning to work. That said, the persistently high claims numbers also tell us this recovery won’t be an easy or quick feat.

Continued jobless claims, which count people who have filed for unemployment benefits for at least two weeks in a row, stood at 15.5 million.

Costa Deliziosa cruise ship

On Aug. 16, one of the most common sights on the Mediterranean Sea will return once again: cruise ships.

But it’s not back to business as usual for this beleaguered travel sector, which has lost an estimated half of its $150 billion in annual global revenue since the Diamond Princess, docked off the coast of Japan in February, became emblematic for how fast the new Covid-19 can spread on a ship.

That triggered a global shutdown of sea cruises until July, when the few that dared start up again were hit with infections right away. The 180 passengers on the Norwegian cruise liner MS Roald Amundsen are still under quarantine after 36 crew members and four guests tested positive on an Arctic voyage.

Fears over potential fresh outbreaks prompted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July to extend a “no sail order” until September 2020. Some cruise lines have gone further, canceling voyages until December or even 2021.

How will the Mediterranean cruises be different?

The Med cruises on offer for the moment are only for residents of Europe’s 26-nation Schengen Area, according to new stipulations set forth by the Italian government on August 10.

During the cruise, people will not be allowed off the ship onto Italian soil unless they are part of tightly controlled organized excursions with fellow passengers only and minimum contact with the general population..

The MSC Grandiosa will be the first to test the waters on August 16 with a seven-night cruise that will stop in Genoa, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Palermo and Valletta, Malta.

“Stringent safety measures”

Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC’s executive chairman, said in a statement that all passengers and crew will be tested for Covid-19 before being allowed to board.

“During the pause in our operations, we focused on developing a comprehensive operating protocol that builds upon already stringent health and safety measures that have long been in place on board our ships,” Vago said in a statement posted on the company website.

The procedures include Covid-19 testing for all guests and crew before embarkation and shore visits only as part of approved excursions, he said.

“With all of these measures in place, we aim to offer our guests the safest possible holiday.”

Leonardo Massa, MSC’s Italy country manager, told CNN that the security procedures to access the ship will be threefold.

Passengers will need to fill out a form and have their temperature taken followed by an immunofluorescence test to detect the potential for the virus. If they pass that test, they can then check in and get their cruise card.

Read more here.

Coronavirus continues to spread at high rates across the South, Midwest and West — even as the total number of new cases has declined following a summer surge.

Nationally, over the past seven days, the United States is averaging about 53,000 new cases per day, down 11% from the week prior. As educators and parents clash over starting in-person classes, some schools that have reopened have seen new cases.

More than 2,000 students, teachers and staff have been placed under quarantine in the few reopened districts in several states, a CNN tally of reported cases show. Of those, at least 230 positive coronavirus cases have been reported among the school districts reopened for in-person learning.

Here are some of the impacted areas:

The White House released new recommendations for schools. They are primarily basic hygiene tips and don’t outline what schools should do if they find coronavirus cases in their halls. The recommendations also encourage the use of masks, but do not require students, teachers or staff to wear them.

President Trump said the federal government will provide up to 125 million masks to school districts nationwide.

President of Argentina Alberto Fernandez speaks during a press conference on August 12 in Olivos, Argentina.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has signed an agreement with Mexico-based Slim Foundation to produce its coronavirus vaccine for the entirety of Latin America, with the exception of Brazil.

Between 150 and 250 million vaccine doses should be available by early 2021, Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez announced on Wednesday evening.

Fernandez added: “Latin American production will be the responsibility of Argentina and Mexico and it will allow a fair access to the vaccine for all countries in the region.”

The Argentinian leader said the price of the vaccine would be between $3 and $4 per dose, adding that this was “significant for Latin America because it allows all our countries to be able to get [the vaccine.]”

AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 20 million people worldwide and has caused more than 749,000 deaths. Here’s what you need to know:

Tourists wear protective masks while visiting the Eiffel Tower on August 2 in Paris, France.

Coronavirus cases are spiking once again in multiple European countries as governments attempt to reopen nations while containing outbreaks. Here are some of the nations most affected.

Spain

Spain has recorded one of the highest increases in coronavirus cases in Europe, with 100.4 cases per 100,000 people recorded over the last 14 days, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Its Aragon region has been particularly hard hit by the resurgence, with 7,139 cases diagnosed in the 14 days up to August 11.

That rate is higher than anywhere else in Spain and one of the worst in Europe, according to the Spanish Ministry of Health and the ECDC.

France

On Wednesday France recorded its biggest spike in cases since officials eased its pandemic lockdown, reporting an increase of 2,524 cases in 24 hours.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Tuesday that the coronavirus situation in the country was “trending in the wrong direction.”

Despite a clear increase in cases, the number of ICU admissions and deaths remains down according to French Minister for Health Olivier Véran.

Germany

Germany’s daily new infection tally soared above 1,000 again on Wednesday, after several days with lower numbers, according to data from the country’s center for disease prevention, the Robert Koch Institute, which said the trend was concerning.

The government is now offering free tests for anyone entering the country.

Greece

Greece registered its highest daily increase of Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began on Wednesday, with 262 new cases recorded, according to the country’s National Public Health Organization.

The majority of new cases were registered in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece’s two largest cities.

An Indian religious leader who stood directly next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a controversial ceremony in early August has tested positive for coronavirus.

Nitya Gopal Das, the head of Ram Janmabhoomi trust, tested positive on Thursday, according to a senior official in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where he lives. 

He stood beside Modi during an August 5 ceremony in Ayodhya, a town in Uttar Pradesh.

The ceremony was a deeply controversial one, marking the laying of the foundations for a Hindu temple at a disputed site.

For decades, Hindu groups have campaigned for a temple to Lord Ram be built at the Ayodhya location, where a 16th-century mosque was demolished by right-wing groups in 1992.

Modi laid a 40-kilogram (88-pound) silver brick during the ceremony, which was attended by 175 dignitaries, including 135 religious devotees.

The Indian leader was seen wearing a face mask at the event. 

Das tested positive when a rapid antigen test was conducted for the virus after he showed flu-like symptoms, according to Sarvagya Ram Mishra, District Magistrate of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. 

A health worker prepares to check a Covid-19 patient at the 32nd Zone General Hospital in Mexico City, on July 20.

Mexico has reported 498,380 cases of Covid-19, the sixth-highest tally globally according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The country has recorded 54,666 deaths related to coronavirus overall, the third-highest fatality toll in the world.

Parts of Mexico began reopening certain sectors of its economy, including tourist offerings, in late June, as officials tried to rescue the country’s struggling economy. But while Mexico’s resorts may be open, its case count remains high.

The country’s high level of infection has also drawn companies looking to conduct Covid-19 vaccine trials, which require tens of thousands of participants.

Mexico has struck deals with two Chinese companies and one American company for vaccine trials, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday.

Boris Johnson’s latest strategy to fight coronavirus aims to make Britain healthier – but campaigners are worried about the impact the policy will have on people living with eating disorders.

Johnson’s government launched its Better Health strategy in an effort to combat the country’s high obesity levels amid the pandemic.

Britain has one of the highest rates of obesity worldwide, with nearly one in three adults classed as obese, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Being obese or heavily overweight increases the risk of death from Covid-19, according to Public Health England. The UK government believes 63% of adults are above what would be considered a healthy weight.

The new measures include a ban on junk food advertisements before 9 p.m., tools to help people lose weight and a proposal requiring restaurants to show how many calories their dishes contain.

Read more:

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left), alongside Darren Henry, Conservative MP for Broxtowe, at the Canal Side Heritage Centre in Beeston near Nottingham on July 28

Related article Britain's anti-obesity coronavirus campaign is a nightmare for eating disorder sufferers

A sample of frozen chicken wings imported from Brazil has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, authorities said Thursday, the latest in a series of reports of contaminated imported food products.

The coronavirus was detected Wednesday on a surface sample taken from a batch of chicken wings during screening of imported frozen food in Longgang district of Shenzhen, the municipal government said in a statement. Officials did not name the brand.

Shenzhen health authorities immediately traced and tested people who might have come into contact with the product, and all results came back negative; all related products in stock have been sealed off and tested negative, the statement said.

Authorities are now tracing related products from the same brand that have already been sold, and have disinfected the area where the contaminated chicken wings were stored.

Read more:

frozen chicken wings

Related article Chinese officials say imported chicken wings tested positive for Covid-19

Thirteen percent of Londoners have coronavirus antibodies, according to a study led by Imperial College London which surveyed more than 100,000 people across England. Those who tested positive for antibodies are likely to have previously contracted Covid-19,

Researchers found that antibody levels in London were over twice England’s national average.

Just over 6% of tested people in the country overall had antibodies. The lowest antibody levels were detected in the nation’s southwest region, where only 3% of people tested positive.

Key workers and health care employees were most likely to have previously had Covid-19, according to the study, which has not been peer reviewed.

Meanwhile Black, Asian and ethnic minority participants are between two to three times as likely to test positive when compared to their white counterparts.

Participants in the study used antibody finger-prick tests at home to participate.

Medical workers hand out coronavirus test kits to local residents on August 7 in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong reported 69 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, 65 of which were locally transmitted. Four of the cases were imported, according to officials at the city’s daily health briefing.

Among the local infections, 33 cases are untraceable and 32 are linked to previous infections.

Of the latter group, 27 cases are linked to family and friends gathering, Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan of the health department’s Communicable Disease Branch said.

The health official did not break down the remaining five cases but did note that two were linked to a domestic helper cluster and one was linked to previous cases at the city’s Kwai Chung Container Terminal.

One more person has died bringing the city’s death toll to 65.

Hong Kong officials have struggled to contain a third wave of the virus in recent weeks.

The total number of cases in the city stands at 4,312.

Vials of a coronavirus vaccine as seen on display at the Gamaleya Institure on August 6 in Moscow, Russia.

The Philippines plans to begin clinical trials for a Russian coronavirus vaccine later this year, according to the state-run Philippines News Agency (PNA). 

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the approval of a vaccine developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, claiming it as a “world first.”

Phase 3 clinical trials will take place in the Philippines from October 2020 to March 2021 – the same time as they are held in Russia, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a media briefing, PNA reported. 

The trials will be held after a vaccine expert panel conducts a review of the results of clinical trials for Phase 1 and Phase 2 in September, Roque said.

Roque added that should the process move as scheduled, President Rodrigo Duterte can be vaccinated by May 1, 2021, according to PNA.

PNA reported that on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte accepted Russia’s offer to supply the Philippines with its vaccines once mass production starts.

At a public address in Davao City, Duterte said he was “very happy” that Russia would provide vaccines free of charge.

Duterte volunteered to be the first person to be injected with the Russian vaccine.

“I’ll agree to be injected. I’ll be the first to be experimented on. It’s fine with me,” he said, according to a PNA article published Monday.  

As of Wednesday, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Philippines is 143,749 with 2,404 deaths, according to data from the Philippine government. 

Determined to curb the spread of Covid-19, authorities in the South Korean capital of Seoul have installed a series of glass-paneled bus shelters that scan the temperature of commuters and refuse entry to anyone detected to have a fever.

Ten solar-powered shelters have been set up along major bus routes in the Seongdong district of the city’s center, the local government said in a statement.

These so-called “smart shelters” have several features to stop people infected with the coronavirus from spreading it to others, including external thermal cameras and internal UV sterilizers. They also have air conditioning, free WiFi, charging stations and play therapeutic music.

While the virus does spread easier indoors than outdoors, summers in Seoul can be brutal.

Read more:

A Covid-19 bus shelter seen in Seoul's Seongdong district.

Related article In the age of coronavirus, these new Seoul bus shelters refuse entry to anyone with a fever

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks with media at a Covid-19 briefing on August 13 in Wellington, New Zealand.

New Zealand reported 13 new community coronavirus cases on Thursday as the country tackles a fresh outbreak that ended an enviable run of more than 100 days without any locally transmitted infections.

The new cluster, which now totals 17 cases, has prompted the country to put its most populous city under lockdown as authorities scramble to trace the source of the outbreak. New Zealand now has 36 active infections, including imported cases. In total, the country has reported 1,238 confirmed cases and 22 deaths.

Authorities are warning that the number of cases are likely to increase, raising the prospect that a three-day lockdown in Auckland could be extended and putting the date of the country’s upcoming general election in doubt.

New Zealand’s outbreak is a dramatic turn of events for the country, which was heralded as a world leader in how it handled the outbreak. For months, life was largely back to normal, and the country went 102 days without a locally acquired case.

Read the full story:

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (left) and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield (right) at a news conference in Wellington, New Zealand, on August 11, 2020.

Related article New Zealand reports new coronavirus cluster as country battles fresh outbreak

Michael Caputo, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for public affairs.

In a letter, public health advisers to the US government said they are “extremely concerned” and “troubled” about the change in how hospitals report Covid-19 data.

Nearly three dozen current and former members of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee shared their concerns in a letter intended to be read by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and obtained by CNN. 

The committee is an independent group of experts that provide guidance to the HHS and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on infection control practices and strategies. When asked by CNN, HHS did not confirm if it had received the letter. Members of the committee said that the CDC, which is part of HHS, was informed of the letter. 

The letter, dated July 31, described hospitals as “scrambling” to determine how to meet new daily Covid-19 reporting requirements to HHS.

In a memo posted on the HHS website on July 10, the Trump administration ordered all hospitals to report all Covid-19 patient information to HHS, rather than to the CDC and HHS, as they had been doing. The Trump administration said the change would streamline the data collection process. 

By removing the data collection task from the CDC, the country would lose decades of expertise in interpreting and analyzing information about infectious disease and it would jeopardize the department’s goals of developing interventions that would improve public health, the letter said. 

In a statement to CNN, an HHS official said the CDC system “was unable to keep up” with the demands of the pandemic. 

“Today, CDC has access to all the data it once had and more. The CDC’s NHSN was unable to keep up with the fast-paced data collection demands of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Michael Caputo, HHS assistant secretary for public affairs, said in an email.

World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks at a news conference at its head office in Geneva on July 3.

More than 800 million children globally are not able to wash their hands at school, according to a new joint report from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund released Wednesday. 

Guidelines for reopening schools during the Covid-19 pandemic emphasize the need for hygiene to reduce transmission and recommend that schools enforce regular hand washing, among other measures.  

There are 818 million children globally who do not have access to basic handwashing at school. Of those children, 355 million – mainly in Northern Africa and Western Asia – have access to water but not soap. The remaining 462 million have no access to hand washing. 

Over half of the children without access to hand washing live in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Nearly 70% of schools had basic drinking water services, but this still left 584 million children globally without access to basic drinking water at school, the report said. Many lived in sub-Saharan Africa, and three countries in particular: Ethiopia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Nearly 700 million children lacked basic sanitation at school, and 20%, or over 350 million schools, had no sanitation service at all. 

WHO and UNICEF also launched the global initiative “Hand Hygiene for All” in June 2020, which aims to scale up hand hygiene in response to Covid-19. 

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. 

The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called on all Americans to pull together “for your country” to help stop the spread of Covid-19, saying the US was in a “war” against the disease.

“I’m asking you to do four simple things: wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and be smart about crowds,” CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said Wednesday in an interview with WebMD.

Redfield reiterated his warning that if Americans do not adhere to these recommendations, this could be “the worst fall (season), from a public health perspective, we’ve ever had.”

The CDC director urged Americans to prepare for a difficult fall season by getting the flu vaccine.

Redfield said the CDC has purchased 10 million doses of the flu vaccine for uninsured adults this year, compared to the typical 500,000 doses. 

Phase 3 trials are currently underway for several coronavirus vaccine candidates.  

Redfield said he is cautiously optimistic that the United States will have one or more vaccines deployed by the start of 2021.

Minister of State for AYUSH, Shripad Naik. 

Indian cabinet minister Shripad Naik tested positive for Covid-19 Wednesday, he announced on his official Twitter page. 

Naik heads the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy – also known as AYUSH. 

Naik is the latest member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to test positive for Covid-19, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.  

Naik tweeted Wednesday that he was tested even though he was not exhibiting any symptoms. 

Relatives and bystanders, some of them wearing protective suits, line up to get oxygen cylinders for patients outside a hospital in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on Wednesday, August 12.

India recorded 66,999 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the country’s health ministry announced Thursday – its highest confirmed number of daily infections yet. 

The country has reported 2,396,637 Covid-19 cases since the outbreak began, according to the ministry, the third highest in the world after the United States and Brazil.

More than 653,000 cases remain active. The total number of recovered patients in India stands at over 1.6 million, according to the government.

In India, not all patients require a test to be considered recovered. Patients with mild and moderate symptoms are considered no longer active after 10 days of symptom onset if they meet certain conditions, and a test to confirm that they no longer have the virus is not required. However, severe cases can only be discharged after one negative coronavirus test.

The health ministry also announced 942 new coronavirus-related fatalities in the past 24 hours, bringing India’s death toll to 47,033.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, more than 26.8 million coronavirus samples have been tested so far.

CNN is tracking worldwide coronavirus cases here:

Another 55,910 coronavirus cases were recorded in the United States on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed infections to at least 5,197,118, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally.

In addition, Johns Hopkins reported 1,499 new US fatalities from Covid-19. The country’s death toll for the epidemic is now at least 166,026.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

CNN’s map is tracking US coronavirus cases:

A general view of AstraZeneca offices and the corporate logo in Cambridge, England.

Mexico and Argentina will produce “between 150 and 250 million doses” of a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced on Twitter on Wednesday.  

Ebrard said financing for the drug’s production will be provided by the Carlos Slim Foundation, a Mexico-based nonprofit founded by billionaire Carlos Slim. 

Further details will be announced on Thursday, Ebrard added.

Race to find a vaccine: There are 28 coronavirus vaccines in human trials around the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Six pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, have reached deals with the US government to develop a Covid-19 vaccine as part of a federal push to curb the pandemic. The US Food and Drug Administration has previously said it would only approve a vaccine if it meets a 50% efficacy requirement.

Russia raised eyebrows on Tuesday when it announced the world’s first approved coronavirus vaccine for public use.

Last month, researchers in one of India’s largest cities made a surprising discovery. Of the nearly 7,000 blood samples taken from people in Mumbai’s slums, 57% tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

While some were alarmed by the results of the study conducted by the Mumbai authorities and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, others were optimistic.

Mumbai’s slums, where social distancing is nearly impossible, might now have some of the highest levels of immunity in the world – only 23.5% of samples taken by India’s National Center for Disease Control tested positive for antibodies in Delhi and 14% tested positive in New York, in a study sponsored by the New York State Department of Health.

Scientists believe it’s likely that recovering from coronavirus leaves a person with some immunity, but it’s not clear how strong it is or how long it lasts. Herd immunity is the idea that a disease will stop spreading once enough of a population becomes immune – and is appealing because, in theory, it might provide some protection for those who haven’t been ill.

If more than half of people in Mumbai’s slums had contracted coronavirus, could they be approaching herd immunity – without a vaccine? 

One expert thought so. 

But others have been more cautious. David Dowdy, an associate professor in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said it was possible that the researchers had used a test that created false positives. 

And Om Shrivastav, an infectious diseases expert in Mumbai, cautioned that, less than eight months into the virus’ existence in society, it was too early to make any “decisive, conclusive statements.” 

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A health worker screens people for Covid-19 symptoms at Dharavi, one of Asia's biggest slums, in Mumbai, India.

Related article Why India could still be a long way off herd immunity

Dr. Ashley Bloomfield speaks during a Covid-19 new briefing on August 13, in Wellington, New Zealand. 

New Zealand’s top health official on Thursday said that the genome sequence from the country’s new coronavirus cluster “closely resembles” patterns from the United Kingdom and Australia.

Bloomfield added that the genome sequencing investigations are still ongoing and there is currently “no exact link” between the genome sequence of the new locally transmitted cases and imported cases in managed isolation quarantine facilities.  

New cluster: New Zealand authorities reported 14 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, of which 13 were locally transmitted. 

Three of the new cases were from employees at Americold, the workplace of one of the previously reported cases, and an additional seven cases were family members of employees at the firm. 

Authorities are testing at Americold’s warehouse for Covid-19, but New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern emphasized that the most likely cause of the outbreak was human to human transmission.

“We are wanting to rule everything out,” she said. 

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti wears a face mask at a news conference at a coronavirus testing site at Lincoln Park, on August 5, in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is “making good progress” and has seen success over the past three weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced in a news conference on Wednesday.

According to Garcetti, there are fewer coronavirus cases, deaths, hospitalizations, a lower positivity rate, and stable and strong hospital bed availability in Los Angeles hospitals. 

The mayor attributed the drop in new infections and deaths to the wearing of face masks, washing hands, maintaining physical distance from others, and staying home, calling these actions “sacrifices to protect one another.”

The rate of transmission for Los Angeles County has dropped to 0.86 from 0.91 last week, Garcetti said.

While the Covid-19 threat level in Los Angeles still remains at “orange” – the second highest level meaning residents should minimize contact with anyone outside of their households – Garcetti said the past few weeks have made a difference and there are no plans to move forward with any further closures or restrictions. 

Electronic reporting system issues: Garcetti confirmed that a fraction of the case data numbers from a backlog has been received. He also warned that case numbers may increase once the county receives the backlog of data.

Garcetti urged residents to continue wearing masks, washing hands, physical distancing, and staying home.

“These things work and they are working to drive down the curve.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a news conference on August 13, in Wellington, New Zealand.

New Zealand health officials said Thursday they had identified 14 new coronavirus cases as the country tackles a fresh outbreak that ended a run of more than 100 days without any locally transmitted infections.

Officials also warned they were likely to find more cases.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reiterated that sentiment.

“As we all learnt from our first experience with Covid, once you identify a cluster it grows before it slows. We should expect that to be the case here,” she said

All but one of the cases are locally transmitted, and are connected with four confirmed cases in Auckland, the country’s most populous city. The other case is a woman in managed isolation who recently entered the country from the Philippines.

Of the 13 cases that are locally transmitted, three patients are employees at Americold, a cool storage facility where one of the previously reported cases worked. Seven of the cases are family members of Americold employees.  

One school student also tested positive for the virus, Bloomfield said. The student is a close contact of one of the four cases reported on Tuesday. 

What’s happening in New Zealand: On the weekend, the country – which has been held up as an example of how to combat the virus – marked 100 days without any locally transmitted infections.

But that streak came to an end this week. On Tuesday, New Zealand announced four new locally-transmitted cases – and on Wednesday, Auckland went into a level 3 lockdown for three days.

Parliament was set to be dissolved Wednesday ahead of the country’s national election in September, but it was postponed. Ardern hasn’t announced whether she will postpone the election, which is scheduled for September 19.

New Zealand has recorded more than 1,200 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 22 deaths.

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway speaks during the "Getting America's Children Safely Back to School" event in the State Room of the white House in Washington, DC, on August 12.

The White House released eight new recommendations for US schools as they prepare to reopen – but the recommendations are little more than basic hygiene tips and don’t outline what to do if they face coronavirus cases in their halls.

The broad recommendations are similar to coronavirus mitigation efforts across the country, and not particularly specific to schools.

The “general recommendations for all schools,” which were released at President Donald Trump’s daily coronavirus news conference, focus on what students and teachers should do to attempt to keep people safe as they return to the classroom.

Trump did say “we’re also providing high-risk teachers and students options to engage in distance teaching and learning.” 

The President said one of the reasons he wants students to return to school is because there are very few fatalities in younger Americans.

This new list released by the White House echoes much of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included in its guidelines for reopening schools, which do contain additional details.

Trump also said CDC teams can be deployed to schools that need assistance with their reopening plans.

Earlier on Wednesday, adviser to the President Kellyanne Conway said that despite the resources the federal government will provide, the decision to reopen schools will still need to be made at a local level.

“We’re the federal government. We’re not telling school districts what to do. We’re providing guidance and resources,” Conway said.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, D.C.,on Wednesday, August 12.

US President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that the federal government will provide up to 125 million masks to school districts around the United States.

The announcement comes amid a push by the Trump administration to reopen schools around the country.

A medical staff member collects a swab sample from a woman at a Covid-19 testing site in Saint-Nic, France, on August 12.

France has recorded its biggest jump in daily Covid-19 cases since around the time it began to ease its lockdown.

The French Health Ministry on Wednesday reported an increase of 2,524 Covid-19 infections in 24 hours.

This is the biggest single-day increase in coronavirus cases since May 6, five days before France eased lockdown restrictions.

This rise comes after French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Tuesday that the coronavirus situation in France has been “trending in the wrong direction.”