Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has moved here.
China has signed an agreement officially joining the COVAX initiative led by the World Health Organization, which aims to provide worldwide access to effective Covid-19 vaccines.
Through the COVAX Facility coordinated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, more than 75 ‘high-income’ countries have committed funding to provide at least part of the cost for procuring the vaccine for poorer nations.
The United States – which has severed its relationship with the WHO – and Russia have not joined the program. Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and 27 countries represented by the European Commission are members.
Monoclonal antibody treatments like the one President Donald Trump got may be the most effective approach for treating coronavirus infections, Microsoft founder Bill Gates said Thursday.
Last Friday, Trump was given an antibody cocktail produced by biotechnology company Regeneron which included a pair of monoclonal antibodies that target the spike protein the virus uses to drill into healthy cells. Trump left the hospital and returned to the White House Monday.
Regeneron and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. have applied to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization for their monoclonal antibody products.
Early data from clinical trials of Eli Lilly and Co’s monoclonal antibody indicates a 60% reduction in hospitalization rates, Gates said. He said Lilly hopes to be able to treat patients with very low doses of the lab-engineered immune system proteins.
Gates said monoclonal treatments may end up being far cheaper than the formulations now used to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions – treatments than can run hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, Gates predicted.
“If everything goes well, the cost of this intervention could be only a few hundred dollars or even under $100,” Gates said.
Gates, who has spun his fortune into a major medical and public health philanthropy, said the Bill & Melinda gates Foundation had invested in manufacturing monoclonals.
Trump has said he thought the Regeneron treatment he was given last week had cured him.
“The word cure is a bit of an overpromise,” Gates said, laughing. “That makes it sound like it works for everyone and the whole concern about this disease will go away, and that’s the last thing we want people to think about.”
President Donald Trump and his administration have prevented public health officials from using the might of the country’s foremost disease-fighting agency to properly respond to the deadly coronavirus pandemic, said Dr. William Foege, the former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
USA Today posted the letter online this week.
He told NPR he doesn’t know how USA Today got a copy of the letter, but that he stands by what he said.
In the letter, Foege wrote to Redfield that the Trump administration has “tarnished the CDC’s reputation as the premiere global public health agency through its bungled Covid-19 response, and that the situation in the US “is a slaughter and not just a political dispute.”
Foege told NPR he felt he had to speak up. “If you know how to prevent torture and don’t do it, you become the torturer,” Foege said, quoting from the writings of a Holocaust survivor. “This is the burden I found myself living under: that silence was complicity.”
Small business in Washington state will receive a $15 million grant through the Federal Economic Development Administration, Gov. Jay Inslee said during a news conference on Thursday.
The grant is part of an assistance program to help keep small businesses running. Inslee said businesses had already received $25 million in grants previously to help keep “small businesses afloat.”
Inslee also announced that rent eviction moratoriums will be extended through Dec. 31. The moratorium was set to expire this week.
The governor also talked about outbreaks at fraternities and sororities that have contributed to an uptick in cases in the state.
“We are concerned about our fraternities and sororities behavior frankly that is exposing us all to great risk,” Inslee said, warning that the behavior “has to change.”
What the numbers say: Washington state has at least 91,918 confirmed Covid-19 cases and at least 2,183 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state’s health department.
Utah ranchers have lost at least 8,000 mink to an outbreak of Covid-19 among the animals known for their silky, luxurious pelts.
The virus first appeared in the creatures in August, shortly after farmworkers fell ill in July, according to Dr. Dean Taylor, state veterinarian of Utah. Initial research shows the virus was transmitted from humans to animals, and so far has not seen any cases of the opposite.
“It feels like a unidirectional path,” he said, adding that testing is still underway.
Some context: This is the first outbreak among mink in the United States, though other cases have been detected in the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Mink, which are closely related to weasels, otter and ferrets, appear to suffer similar symptoms to humans. Difficulty breathing and crusting around the eyes are usually seen, but the virus progresses rapidly, and most infected mink are dead by the next day, according to Taylor. It’s unclear what makes mink such a susceptible species, while others appear to be unaffected.
Mink join only cats, dogs, a tiger and a lion to be the only confirmed animals with Covid-19 in the US, according to the USDA data.
The cluster of cases in Utah has spread to nine farms, but Taylor warns that “we’re still in the middle of the outbreak.” Each farm is under quarantine with only essential workers permitted on site. Farmworkers are being directed to use proper protective equipment at all times.
The pelts from most of the mink that have died from the virus have been either contained and buried or incinerated. No pelts have left the state, according to Taylor.
Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, has announced it is halting all football-related activities following positive results from recent coronavirus testing. The school did not reveal how many players and/or staff tested positive for Covid-19.
Last month, the team was forced to postpone a game versus the Houston Cougars due to Covid-19 cases on the Baylor team.
It is “irresponsible” for President Trump to suggest a Covid-19 vaccine will be developed by Election Day, according to Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine.
Bright said that “scientists are working at breakneck speeds” on a vaccine.
“It is unprecedented to see how fast they are moving through a lot the steps. The one step you cannot rush is the safety evaluation of that vaccine after it’s put into people. It takes time,” Bright said.
The US Food and Drug Administration said it will want to see two months of follow-up data after volunteers get their second vaccine doses for clinical trials. That would make it nearly impossible for any vaccine maker to apply for emergency use authorization by Nov. 3.
Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, said President Trump’s message to not be afraid of coronavirus is “reckless and deadly.”
Bright resigned from his post at the National Institutes of Health this week. He was ousted from his role leading the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and reassigned to a narrower role at NIH. He filed a whistleblower complaint this spring alleging that his early warnings about coronavirus were ignored and that his caution at hydroxychloroquine led to his removal.
“[Trump] has never told us the truth about the risk or the seriousness of this outbreak. He has not told the truth about his status, when he was infected. … By lying to the American public and not telling us the full truth, you’re actually prolonging the duration and impact of this pandemic. You’re actually allowing more people to die,” he said.
Bright said he is speaking out because he thinks scientists are being pushed to the sidelines.
“More people are going to die because scientists are being pushed back. … The world needs to know the truth. And if we continue to hide the truth, then we’re going to see many more deaths that don’t need to occur,” Bright said.
Watch the moment:
In a dire new warning, Amtrak says without $5 billion in pandemic stimulus funds from Congress, it will shed 2,400 workers, cut the frequency of trains on some routes, and stop major improvement projects.
Some context: On Tuesday, President Trump shut the door on House Democrats’ updated Heroes Act, which included $2.4 billion for Amtrak.
“While we were grateful for this sign of support, at this time, there is no clear path to finalize such supplemental funding in Congress and the Administration,” said Flynn. “Amtrak is in a very precarious position as we await final decisions on our funding levels.”
Amtrak’s president said if current funding levels are carried over into the rail system’s next fiscal year, “we will be unable to avoid more drastic impacts that could have long lasting effects on our Northeast Corridor infrastructure and the national rail system.”
Ford, one of the nation’s largest automakers, told office workers Thursday that the company will extend work-from-home in North America until June 2021, according to a statement.
The company, which is headquartered in southeastern Michigan, has about 32,000 office-based employees throughout North America that have been working from home since March, according to spokesperson Daniel Barbossa.
About 26,000 employees work in Michigan, said Barbossa.
The Czech Republic on Thursday announced a slew of new restrictions in an effort to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus in the country and ease the strain on health care services.
All the restrictions, announced at a government news conference Thursday, will remain in effect for two weeks.
From Friday and for two weeks, all restaurants and bars will close at 8 p.m. local time and tables can seat no more than four people.
Starting Monday, all universities and higher education institutions will close but primary and secondary schools will rotate classes.
Pools, gyms and fitness centers must close effectively immediately. All indoor professional and leisure sports are banned and outdoor sports will be limited to 20 people.
Shopping malls will remain open but will shut Wi-Fi services to deter teens, with tables inside the food court limited to two people maximum.
Cultural and leisure facilities like theaters and cinemas will close from Monday. Weddings will be limited to 30 people.
All nonessential visits to hospitals and social institutions like care homes are also banned.
By the numbers: The Czech Republic reported at least 5,335 new Covid-19 cases Wednesday, the country’s highest daily case count since the pandemic began. With that, the country has now overtaken Spain as the European Union’s country with the highest number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 of the population.
There has now been a total of 95,360 cases, and 829 coronavirus deaths in the central European country, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The state of New Jersey reported 1,301 new cases of Covid-19, the highest number since May 29, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a news conference.
New Jersey now has 211,148 total cases of coronavirus.
There were 11 deaths reported, bringing the New Jersey statewide total to at least 14,373.
The positivity rate for the state is now at 3.69%, according to Murphy.
New Jersey also reported 652 people were hospitalized due to Covid-19, the highest reported number since Aug. 6.
There were 148 people in the intensive care unit and 52 of them are on ventilators.
NOTE: These numbers were released by the New Jersey 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.
The UK has recorded 17,540 new coronavirus cases – a rise of more than 3,000 on Wednesday’s update.
According to government data, the total number of infections has reached 561,815 since the pandemic began.
A further 77 people died within 28 days of a positive test and there are now 3,412 people being treated in hospital.
An ensemble forecast published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now projects there will be 224,000 to 233,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by Oct. 31.
Unlike some individual models, the CDC’s ensemble forecast only offers projections a few weeks into the future.
The previous ensemble forecast, published Sept. 30, projected up to 232,000 coronavirus deaths by Oct. 24.
At least 212,154 people have already died from Covid-19 in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The state of Florida is reporting at least 3,306 additional cases of Covid-19 on Thursday – the highest single-day jump in new infections since Sept. 18, according to data released by the Florida Department of Health.
As of Thursday, there has been at least 726,013 total cases in the state.
The state’s death toll from Covid-19, which surpassed 15,000 on Wednesday, currently stands at at least 15,254 – about 15,068 of those are residents and 186 non-residents, according to the state’s Department of Health dashboard.
On Sept. 18, Florida reported at least 3,557 new coronavirus cases.
Note: These numbers were released by Florida’s public health agency, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected the notion of a standalone stimulus bill for airlines on Thursday, saying it would have to go along with a more comprehensive package including Democratic priorities.
During her weekly news conference, Pelosi slammed President Trump for ending negotiations for an aid package earlier this week, questioning whether Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and top congressional Republicans even knew about his decision beforehand.
“When the President did his strange tweet that said we’re walking away from the negotiations — it was like, what? We’ve all been working very hard to find our common ground, to agree on language so that we have an understanding of what the legislation will do,” Pelosi said.
“I think he surprised a lot of people,” she added.
She said she remains hopeful a deal can be reached, “because it has to be done.”
“We told the White House we’re at the table. We’re at the table,” Pelosi said. “We want to continue the conversation. We’ve made some progress.”
Some context: The airline industry is struggling during the pandemic, having to furlough thousands of workers.
Major US airline stocks fell sharply when Trump tweeted that the Senate would no longer consider the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill proposed by House Democrats. The bill included $25 billion for airlines—new relief that airlines say would have allowed them to bring the roughly 50,000 workers they furloughed on Oct. 1 back on the job.
University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins is facing a student petition pushing for him to resign and a possible “no confidence” by the faculty following his Covid-19 diagnosis.
Students are outraged at Jenkins after he was seen attending the nomination ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett at the White House Rose Garden on Sept. 26 without wearing a mask and not adhering to social distancing practices.
More than 200 students have signed a petition calling for Jenkins to resign, saying, “Fr. Jenkins’ public displays of disregard for public health directly contradict his commitment to the Notre Dame community, directly endanger the safety of students, faculty and staff, and also cast a negative light on the Notre Dame community as a whole.”
Two days before Jenkins’ diagnosis, an editorial titled “Frankly, this is embarrassing” was published in Notre Dame’s student-run newspaper lashing out at Jenkins for breaking the rules he expects Notre Dame students to uphold.
Some background: After Jenkins announced he had tested positive for Covid-19 on October 2, he wrote a public apology to the university community.
“I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden,” Jenkins wrote. “I failed to lead by example, at a time when I’ve asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so.”
On Tuesday night, Notre Dame’s Faculty Senate debated a “no confidence” resolution of Jenkins, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times. The motion was narrowly voted 21-20 deciding to postpone further action on the resolution.
But the apology isn’t enough for students, who noted that this is the second time Jenkins has had to apologize to the student body since the fall semester began. In early August, Jenkin issued an apology after he was seen engaging with students on campus and not following social distancing protocol.
Italy has recorded another increase in the number of new coronavirus cases – the largest daily rise since April 11.
According to the country’s Health Ministry, at least 4,458 new cases were reported on Thursday. That compares with 3,678 new cases on Wednesday.
Overall, the number of cases has reached at least 338,398 since the pandemic began.
A total of 169 public school sites are now closed in areas where there are clusters of Covid-19 cases in New York City, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
There were 108 initially closed on Tuesday in conjunction with the state. The new restrictions called for an additional 61 to be closed, he said.
Additionally, there are 308 school sites in the yellow zone that will begin mandatory weekly testing starting October 9.
The earliest the schools closed Tuesday could come back is Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Here are some of the other restrictions in place:
The US Food and Drug Administration told CNN Thursday morning that the agency doesn’t have any comments on the applications for Emergency Use Authorizations for Eli Lilly and Regeneron antibody treatments.
“Per policy, we cannot confirm, deny or comment on product applications,” FDA spokesperson Chanapa Tantibanchachai told CNN via email.
Both Eli Lilly and Regeneron have already submitted requests to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization for their single monoclonal antibody therapies.
This comes after President Trump said on Fox Business Thursday morning that both Eli Lilly and Regeneron will both get EUAs.
“Regeneron, I view it as a cure, not just a therapeutic…and Eli Lilly has a great drug,” Trump said. “Very much along the lines of Regeneron. It’s great, and what I’m doing is I’m going to supply this drug.”
