September 4 coronavirus news

People stand in a queue as they wait for a PCR test for the novel coronavirus at a medical laboratory in Paris amids the Covid-19 pandemic on September 4.

France reported 8,975 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours, the largest daily increase since the outbreak began in France. 

The new infections reported by France’s National Health Agency on Friday bring the total number of confirmed cases to at least 309,156. 

Despite the daily increase, the latest data released from the French National Health Agency showed the number of people hospitalized and in intensive care units remains stable. 

Former Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst, underscored the importance of wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic, as President Trump mocked Joe Biden for wearing one.

More than 410,000 people in the US could die from the coronavirus by Jan. 1, according to a new model from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Near-universal mask wearing could cut the number of projected deaths by more than half, according to the IHME model.

Wen also cautioned Americans to not let their guard down during the Labor Day weekend. 

“It’s important to mention that we’re at a much worse place now than we were back [on] the Fourth of July and back during Memorial Day because we have much more virus in the community. So we really need to do our part and prevent infections and save lives now,” she said. 

Watch:

Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump praised vaccine development efforts and his administration’s response to Covid-19. The President told reporters he thinks the public will hear some “very good news” on vaccines.

Trump said he’s spoken to the chief of drug-maker Pfizer as the company claims it’s on track to provide data about its vaccine trial by next month.

Trump said he’d spoken with Pfizer on Friday. A day earlier, the company’s CEO said it should have enough data to know if its product works by the end of October.

“As far as we’re concerned they’re very close to announcing some very big news,” Trump said later. “The vaccines are going to come out soon and the therapeutics are continuing.”

Along with Pfizer, Trump said he has spoken with the heads of Johnson and Johnson and Moderna, which are also working on a coronavirus vaccine.

“We have tremendous talent, some tremendous scientists, and they’re right there,” he said.

British drugmaker AstraZeneca said Monday it has started phase three trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the United States, becoming the third company to start late-stage trials of a vaccine to prevent Covid-19.

CNN reported on Thursday that Trump has cranked up pressure on administration health officials to expedite work both on a coronavirus vaccine and on treatments that might signal to voters there is an end in sight to the life-altering pandemic that has imperiled his reelection prospects.

With regards to the jobs report released this morning that showed employers added 1.4 million jobs in August, the President said he believes the country will see “tremendous growth in the very near future.”

Trump’s rival Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is set to deliver remarks soon from Delaware on the economy and Covid-19.

A health worker does a PCR test on a patient at Ficoba exhibition site, where mass coronavirus tests are being carried out on September 3, 2020 in Irun, Spain.

Authorities in Spain have reported 10,476 new Covid-19 cases on Friday as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to grow in the country.

Of the more than 10,000 new infections, 4,503 were diagnosed in the past 24 hours — the highest daily number in since early early May.

At least 498,989 people have been infected with coronavirus in Spain since the virus reached the Iberian country.

Nearly a third of infections diagnosed in the past day were discovered in the capital Madrid (1,462). The Basque Country (678) and the Canary Islands (363) were the two other Spanish regions with the highest daily increase.

Spanish authorities also reported 186 new deaths from Covid-19 — the highest daily increase since May 26.

A total of 29,234 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Spain since the outbreak started.

The World Health Organization said it is clear: Covid-19 deaths are likely undercounted at this time.

“That’s extremely important,” Aylward added. “Some of that excess mortality is probably Covid disease that was not recognized or reported.” 

Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO infectious disease epidemiologist, said it’s still too early to make absolute conclusions, “but I think it is important to recognize that deaths from Covid are likely to be undercounted at the present time.”

Van Kerkhove said there are deaths “that we know are associated with Covid-19 from infection and are tracked in real time, as they occur.” And then then are deaths that will be “identified as we retrospectively look [back],” she said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wearing a protective mask attends during the daily media briefing at the Office of the Governor of the State of New York on July 23 in New York.

The Covid-19 infection rate in New York state remains below 1% for the fourth straight week, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.

On Thursday, the rate was .92%. The governor tweeted on Friday that there were more than 93,000 tested performed Thursday.

Additionally, Cuomo tweeted there were five more deaths yesterday and 428 people remain hospitalized.

The numbers come as the state has authorized malls in New York City to reopen next week along with casinos across the state. Both will have restrictions on capacity.

Note: These numbers were released by the state’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.

Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on September 3, in the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Following this morning’s jobs report, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is speaking soon from Wilmington, Delaware, about the economy and Trump’s coronavirus response.

Employers added 1.4 million jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Job growth at that level marks a slowdown from earlier this summer: Employers added a revised 1.7 million jobs in July and 4.8 million jobs in June.

However, America is still down 11.5 million jobs from February. Millions of families are still in need of benefits to make ends meet while Congress continues to argue about the next stimulus package.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.4% from 10.2% in July. It’s below 10% — which was also its Great Recession peak — for the first time since March.

All Palm Beach County-operated beach parks will remain open this Labor Day weekend the county announced.

Restaurants and retail establishments within beach parks may remain open and are subject to the restrictions included in current state and local emergency orders applicable to Palm Beach County, including but not limited to any occupancy restrictions, the county said. 

Public beaches in Palm Beach however, will be closed starting Saturday and will reopen on Tuesday under limitations outlined in Palm Beach County’s Executive order, the Palm Beach officials announced. 

The town of Palm Beach said the decision to close the beaches was made to avoid “super spreader” events. 

The World Health Organization said that people – not countries – should be given priority when it comes to possible Covid-19 vaccines. 

“We want all people everywhere to have access to vaccines. But initially, when supply is limited, priority must be given to vaccinating essential workers and those most at risk, including older people and those with underlying conditions,” he added.

Tedros said using vaccines effectively across the world is “a global public good” and it is in the “the national interest of each and every country.”

“Vaccine nationalism will prolong the problem, not shorten it,” Tedros said.

Peru will be joining phase three clinical trials for the experimental vaccine against Covid-19 from the University of Oxford and biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peru has been in contact with AstraZeneca since July.

Peru’s National Institute of Health and the Health Ministry’s General Directorate of Medications, Supplies, and Drugs (DIGEMID) will work together to ensure the country can begin the trials in the next few days. 

“This multisectoral effort constitutes proof of the strong commitment from the Peruvian government toward guaranteeing the timely access to a vaccine against Covid-19 for all Peruvians,” the ministry said in the statement.

Peru is also participating in phase three trials with China’s Sinopharm and Johnson & Johnson.

Nancy Killebrew checks her phone as she waits with her daughter Melody for the start of a movie at The Lot on Thursday, Sept. 3, in San Diego.

More young people are getting infected with the coronavirus at higher numbers. Experts fear that will only grow as many colleges and schools reopen.

In August alone, for example, nearly 7,000 people between ages 18-24 tested positive for Covid-19 in Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson said. About 30% of the new cases in the state are among that age group.

While more young people continue to test positive, the vast majority of them have not required hospitalization.

“I know there is a lot of concern right now regarding college students. But I want to assure you that our colleges, and our universities, have plans in place and are taking all steps necessary to keep their students and communities as safe as possible,” Parson said.

College campuses in at least 40 states have seen outbreaks of the virus, and officials are urging caution heading into the holiday weekend.

“I understand many will probably not be going home since they just got on campus. So they’ll be around and they’ll have some free time,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. “You’ve got to be cautious over this weekend.”

Over 200 of the 969 new cases reported in the state are from Washington County, home to the University of Arkansas, he said. In the county, four out of every five positive tests were among people between the ages of 18 and 24.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, pointed out measures that colleges and universities should take to open successfully.

Colleges should only consider reopening if they have several protocols in place, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told CNN by phone. They include testing every student, surveillance testing at various intervals and readily available quarantine spaces.

“They’ve got to have the capability of doing the testing to begin with,” said Fauci, who emphasized testing upon arrival. “They’ve got to have the capability of doing surveillance testing as you get into the school year, and they have to have a plan of how they handle the inevitability of some students who are going to wind up getting affected.”

It would be unrealistic to assume that there are no Covid-19 cases on campus, he said, noting that planning should include designated specific quarantine spaces for students who contract the virus.

President Donald Trump walks into the briefing room to speak at the White House on August 31 in Washington.

In meetings focused on vaccine development throughout the spring and summer, President Trump has consistently pressed officials to speed up their timeline for developing a vaccine, administration officials said, saying the President appeared intent on being able to deliver at least the solid promise of an effective vaccine by the time he faces reelection.

Those efforts have only scaled up as Election Day nears, and Trump has repeatedly complained that some officials at federal health agencies are actively working to stymie his reelection chances by slow-walking announcements that might project forward momentum.

On calendars peppered with early voting deadlines and presidential debates, some of Trump’s advisers have circled Oct. 22, when a once obscure panel of academics and researchers convened by the FDA will weigh “the development, authorization and/or licensure” of a coronavirus vaccine.

It’s unlikely the meeting itself will result in a clear directive, officials said, and the board doesn’t have final say on when or how a vaccine is approved. But the public session could prove critical to achieving what some in Trump’s orbit have dubbed the “holy grail” — a Covid vaccine by Election Day.

Administration health officials continue to insist that no vaccine or treatment will be approved for use — either through full authorization or an emergency use designation — unless it is safe and effective. “No one is pressuring the FDA to do anything,” Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Thursday.

“This President wants to break through regulatory barriers to get a vaccine as safely to the American people as quickly as possible because lives are at stake, but he will not in any way sacrifice safety in making sure that this is 100% airtight before the American people receive it,” McEnany said.

In reality, government officials and others familiar with the matter describe a more complicated situation, where scientific fact is introduced into a fraught political season and where the President likens any effort to slow down or deny approval for his preferred remedies to a personal attack.

The result has created enormous pressure on the agency that will ultimately determine when a vaccine is approved for use. 

Read more here.

Moncef Slaoui, the former head of GlaxoSmithKlines vaccines division, listens as President Donald Trump delivers remarks about coronavirus vaccine development in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 15 in Washington.

Moncef Slaoui — chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, the federal government’s Covid-19 vaccine program — said in an interview with Science that he would have joined the global vaccine effort known as COVAX if it was his choice.  

CNN reported on Tuesday that because of its ties to the World Health Organization, the United States would not join COVAX, an initiative involving more than 170 countries working to provide worldwide access to an effective Covid-19 vaccine. The initiative is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and WHO.

Slaoui also spoke about vaccines from China in his interview. 

While Operation Warp Speed has said from the outset that it will not consider vaccines from China, Slaoui said that if the first vaccine to have reasonable safety and efficacy data comes from there “it’s great if this would be the first demonstration that vaccines can work. That’s great news for the world.”  

In an interview with Science, Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said the process of developing a Covid-19 vaccine has benefited from improving technology and past experiences with coronaviruses.

Slaoui also said that “we haven’t yet hit the wall” when it comes to designing trials, manufacturing vaccines, finding study endpoints and clinical trial sites, for example.

“One of the reasons we said we needed six or eight vaccines is because some of them may or will hit the wall,” he said.

The Dow was pointing to decent gains Friday after the US government reported that 1.4 million jobs were added in August and the unemployment rate fell more than expected. The S&P 500 was flat and the tech-heavy Nasdaq was lower again.

The moves follow Thursday’s massive drop in stocks, which was led by big sell-offs in red hot tech leaders such as Apple, Amazon and Microsoft. It was the worst day for stocks since June, and came just one day after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both hit new all-time highs.

 Here is where things stood at the opening:

A airport employee performs an aircraft disinfecting demonstration during a media preview at the Ronald Reagan National Airport on July 22, in Arlington, Virginia.

The Transportation Security Administration said it screened nearly 878,000 people yesterday, the highest daily level reached to date since the coronavirus pandemic battered air travel.  

The agency is currently seeing about one third of the traffic it saw last year.  

Those numbers are in line with airline projections. The trade group Airlines for America said it expects traffic this weekend to be between a quarter to a third of the traffic seen last year.  

Several groups that normally issue predictions for holiday road trip volumes, including AAA, are not doing so this year.  

President Donald Trump listens as Moncef Slaoui, the former head of GlaxoSmithKlines vaccines division, speaks about coronavirus vaccine development in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 15, in Washington.

Moncef Slaoui, the chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said in an interview with Science that he would resign from his role if there was undue interference in the Covid-19 vaccine effort.

“I have to say there has been absolutely no interference,” Slaoui said. “Despite my past, which is still my present, I am still the same person with the same values. The pandemic is much bigger than that. Before being a political person with convictions, humanity has always been my objective.” 

When asked if he and the Trump administration had discussed waiting to ask for an emergency use authorization until after Election Day, Slaoui said an EUA should be requested when it has evidence of safety and efficacy.

“I have to say, maybe even despite my personal political views, that I don’t think that’s right, because 1,000 people die every day [from COVID-19],” Slaoui said. “If a vaccine [had evidence of safety and efficacy] on 25 October, it should be [requested] on 25 October. If it’s 17 November, it should be 17 November. If it’s 31 December, it should be 31 December,” he said.

“It needs to be absolutely shielded from the politics,” he said. “I cannot control what people say. The President says things, other people will say things. Trust me, there will be no EUA filed if it’s not right.” 

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said the US response to coronavirus is “shocking,” as a new model often cited by health experts predicts more than 400,000 Americans could die from Covid-19 by January 1. 

The model from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation would mean an additional 224,000 Americans lost in the next four months — more than double the 186,000 deaths reported to date by Johns Hopkins University.

Gupta said on CNN’s “New Day” that he spoke with Dr. Anthony Fauci about this new model and said he expressed “a convergence of frustration.”

Gupta said he’s also “discouraged and frustrated” by Americans’ lax reaction as the coronavirus continues and said he’s been up all night thinking about the models.  

“What I’m starting to feel is the existential threat is the human behavior. … I think we really are having a reckoning with regard to just basic human decency at this point,” he added. 

Gupta said the virus is not hard to combat, as long as people wear a mask, wash their hands, keep their distance and spend time together outside — and it’s even more important going into the fall and winter. 

“This is not that hard. We take brain tumors out of people. We treat what are considered untreatable cancers. We put people back together after massive trauma. This is not that hard,” Gupta said. 

Watch:

The World Health Organization is “not expecting to see widespread vaccination [for coronavirus] until the middle of next year,” spokesperson Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva Friday.

There are currently 34 vaccines globally carrying out human trials, according to WHO, with 142 vaccine candidates currently in the pre-clinical trial phase.

Harris was speaking the same day that the first peer-reviewed results of phase one and phase two clinical trials of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine – the world’s first approved coronavirus vaccine for public use — were published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.

Although Harris did not reference the Russian vaccine, Harris emphasized the importance of safety and efficiency checks saying that phase three trials “will take much longer” in order to “see how truly protective” and safe any vaccine is.

Remember: Scientists not involved in the study of the Russia vaccine said while the results are a positive sign, only larger, phase three trials can confirm whether the vaccine actually prevents illness with Covid-19. 

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp puts on a mask after speaking at a press conference announcing statewide expanded COVID testing on August 10, in Atlanta.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is urging all residents not to let their guards down and to follow all public health guidelines over the Labor Day weekend. 

Kemp said that although the state is starting to see a decline in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, it is important for everyone to follow and enforce the guidelines outlined in the governor’s executive order. This includes a ban on large gatherings and safety measures on businesses and restaurants as well as a shelter in place for the medically fragile.

Iraq reported at least 5,036 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest daily number of infections recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, the country’s Ministry of Public Health said.

The latest recorded cases brings the country’s total case count to 252,075. There were also 84 new deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, raising the national death toll to 7,359, the Ministry says.

Another 1.4 million jobs were added to the US economy in August, as the jobs recovery continued to slow.

This was in line with expectations, and down from 1.7 million jobs added in July and 4.8 million in June.

Every person who can go back to work is a win for the recovery from the unprecedented jobless crisis the Covid-19 pandemic has brought on. However, America is still down 11.5 million jobs from February.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.4%. It’s below 10% — which was also its Great Recession peak — for the first time since March.

This means millions of families in need of benefits to make ends meet while Congress continues to argue about the next stimulus package.

During the Republican National Convention last week, President Trump promised to create 10 million new jobs in 10 months. If the predictions hold true, he’ll have 8.6 million more to go — and even then, the US economy wouldn’t have gained back all the jobs lost since February.

Trump’s promise could prove difficult to achieve. The recovery is losing steam as the sugar rush from stimulus wears off, millions of people are still working from home, and retail, restaurants and other services industries remain battered from the pandemic.

WATCH:

Lexie Brown, a business major at Indiana University, attends an online class on the lawn of her Alpha Omicron Pi sorority house to distance from other house residents. Over 30 Greek houses at Indiana University are currently under quarantine.

Indiana University Bloomington is now recommending that all students living in sorority and fraternity houses reevaluate their living situations due to the quickly increasing spread of coronavirus in those environments. 

Greek houses are owned and operated by their respective Greek organizations, not by the university as self, so IU doesn’t have the jurisdiction to regulate the houses.

CNN previously reported that 30 fraternity and sorority houses at the school had been placed under quarantine by the county health department. 

A Covid-19 vaccine developed and tested in Russia generated neutralizing antibodies in dozens of study subjects, and while the vaccine often caused side effects such as fever, those side effects were mostly mild, according to data published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet. 

In the phase one and two studies, all 76 study participants developed antibodies to the virus that causes Covid-19, according to the report. 

The levels of neutralizing antibody response were similar to the immune response that people had after naturally recovering from Covid-19, according to the study.  

The researchers also looked at responses from T cells, another component of the immune system. 

“[Outcomes from] the trial also suggest the vaccines also produce a T cell response within 28 days,” the researchers wrote. 

Remember: Scientists not involved in the study said while the results are a positive sign, only larger, phase three trials can confirm whether the vaccine actually prevents illness with Covid-19. 

“The data on the Russian vaccine studies reported in the Lancet are encouraging,” said Brendan Wren, professor of microbial pathogenesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  

In the study, half of the participants developed fevers and 42% developed headaches. In addition, about 28% experienced weakness and 24% had joint pain. 

The article did not say how long these side effects lasted but said “most adverse events were mild.” 

The vaccine was registered in Russia in August, before it had gone through large-scale trials. The researchers at the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia received approval on August 26 to do a phase three trial, which is expected to have 40,000 volunteers, according to a press release from The Lancet. The researchers are already distributing the vaccine to high-risk groups, according to Kirill Dmietriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is financing Russian vaccine research. 

Gamaleya is using adenoviruses in their Covid-19 vaccines; this is the same type of approach used in the vaccine developed by University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. The adenovirus delivers genetic material for the spike protein that sits atop the virus the causes Covid-19, and that genetic material is designed to generate an immune response to the virus that causes Covid-19.

Adenoviruses can cause a variety of symptoms, including the common cold. The researchers manipulate the virus so it will not replicate and cause illness. 

The Gamaleya vaccine is given in two doses, and each dose used a different adenovirus vector. 

“Using two different viruses gives a theoretical advantage,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccinologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

Employees are seen at Russia's biotech company BIOCAD, which is working on a coronavirus vaccine.

The first peer-reviewed results of Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, which is named Sputnik-V, have been published in the medical journal The Lancet on Friday.

Results from the two 42-day trials – which each included 38 healthy adults – “have a good safety profile with no serious adverse events” among participants, The Lancet said in a press release, noting that the vaccine-induced antibody responses in all participants.

Russia faced criticism last month when it announced the world’s first approved coronavirus vaccine for public use, even before Phase 3 trials are completed. 

Russia also faced skepticism over how quickly the vaccine was registered and the initial lack of scientific data around the clinical trials. 

Naor Bar-Zeev, deputy director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University said in a linked comment that the studies are “encouraging but small,” according to The Lancet. Bar-Zeev was not involved in the Russian study, but peer reviewed it.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) funding the vaccine development said the trial results confirm the “high safety and efficacy” of the vaccine, adding in a statement Friday that the results are “a powerful response to sceptics who unreasonably criticized the Russian vaccine.” 

America’s jobs recovery is expected to have slowed further in August as the services sector continues to struggle.

Economists polled by Refintiv predict the US economy added 1.4 million jobs in August, down from 1.8 million jobs added in July and 4.8 million in June.

The unemployment rate is expected to fall to 9.8% in August, which would be the first time since March that it stands below 10%. That would also be below the peak unemployment rate reached during the Great Recession.

Every person who can go back to work is a win for the recovery from the unprecedented jobless crisis the Covid-19 pandemic has brought on. However, America would still be down nearly 11.5 million jobs from February, even with more than 1 million job gains last month.

Read the full story here:

Related article America's jobs recovery is expected to have cooled off in August

An employee has their temperature as they arrive for a shift at the Skoda Auto AS factory, operated by Volkswagen AG, in Kvasiny, Czech Republic, on June 9, 2020.

The Czech Republic has set a new daily record for the second day in a row for new coronavirus infections.

The central European country recorded 680 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, surpassing Wednesday’s record of 650, according to the Ministry of Health.

The Czech Republic has a total of 26,452 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 426 people have died of the virus.

Jeffrey Rhodes, a funeral home director applies makeup for man who died of COVID-19 before his funeral at Ray Williams Funeral Home on August 12, in Tampa, Florida.

A model often cited by top health officials dramatically raised its projections for US Covid-19 deaths Friday morning, predicting over 410,000 deaths by January 1 – which would mean another 224,000 Americans lost in just the next four months.

The model from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation points to declining mask use in some regions from a peak in usage in early August. The scenarios in the model suggest 122,000 of those lives could be saved with near-universal mask use. Conversely, the model warns the death toll could be much higher – over 620,000 – if all restrictions are eased.

“If a herd immunity strategy is pursued, meaning no further government intervention is taken from now to Jan 1st, the death toll could increase to 620,000,” according to IHME’s briefing.

IHME expects the death rate to reach an unprecedented 3,000 a day by December, due in part to “declining vigilance of the public.”

The IHME model, which is more aggressive in its predictions than others, comes a day after a new CDC ensemble forecast predicted 211,000 US deaths from Covid-19 by September 26.

 Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains:

A view of the San Raffaele hospital where former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi is admitted, in Milan, Italy, on Friday, September 4.

There is no cause for “concern” over the health of Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, his representatives told CNN.

The 83-year-old former PM and media magnate was admitted to hospital Thursday with mild coronavirus symptoms and subsequently tested positive.

Berlusconi was prime minister four times for a total of nine years, and has been the subject of multiple corruption, fraud and bribery trials.

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

“Berlusconi, after the appearance of some symptoms, was admitted to the San Raffale hospital in Milan as a precaution. The clinical picture does not cause concern,” Berlusconi’s spokesperson told CNN.

Customers wearing face masks collect their orders as chairs and tables are stacked together as part of social distancing efforts inside a cafe in Seoul, on August 31.

South Korea is extending its strict social distancing measures for the greater Seoul Metropolitan area for one more week until September 13, the country’s Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a briefing today.

“The government feels it’s necessary to extend these measures until the new daily numbers visibly drop so that our epidemiological investigation and medical system capacity can handle the situation,” Park explained.

The current restrictions were due to expire this Sunday.

All kindergartens and schools except some high school classes in the greater Seoul Metropolitan area will continue to hold online classes for two more weeks until September 20, the Education Ministry’s Vice Minister Park Baek-beom said in a separate briefing.

All restaurants and bakeries will continue to stop eat-in services between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time, and gyms and indoor sporting facilities will be closed for one more week due to this decision.

The rest of South Korea, where level-two social distancing measures are implemented, will maintain the restrictions for two more weeks from September 9 until September 20, Park said. However, local authorities can adjust the duration of restrictions.

What level-two social distancing means: Indoor gatherings are limited to 50 people and outdoor gatherings to 100. Churches nationwide will be strongly advised to hold online services by local authorities, Park added.

South Korea reported 198 new coronavirus cases from Thursday, of which 189 are local cases, and nine are imported, according to the press release by the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on Friday. South Korea currently has 20,842 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 331 deaths from the virus.

They are among the greatest victims of coronavirus, yet elderly people continue to be dismissed, despite growing evidence of the devastating effects the pandemic has had on them.

Earlier this week, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had heard people describing high Covid-19 death rates among older people as “fine.”

WHO figures from last week show that almost 88% of all deaths in Europe were among people aged 65 and over. And almost half of all deaths linked to Covid-19 globally have taken place in care homes, according to the Long-Term Care Covid (LTCcovid) network at the London School of Economics.

But despite vast numbers of elderly people dying of coronavirus – and a significant drop in the quality of life of many of those forced to self-isolate – the global response to the risks they face in the era of Covid-19 has often been chilling.

Read the full story:

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on the new coronavirus dubbed COVID-19, at the WHO headquaters on March 2, 2020 in Geneva. - The World Health Organization said that the number of new coronavirus cases registered in the past day in China was far lower than in the rest of the world. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article It's the worst disaster of the pandemic. But WHO chief says our lack of concern shows 'moral bankruptcy'

United States lawmakers are reiterating a call for universities and college campuses to prohibit tobacco use this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

In a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Democratic lawmakers urged the federal health agency to review its Covid-19 guidelines and recommend no smoking, vaping or chewing tobacco in schools. 

The letter cites a study suggesting that young people who’ve used e-cigarettes can be five times more likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19. Stanford University researchers published the report last month in the Journal of Adolescent Health. 

With the public health risk posed by coronavirus, they said, the CDC should “act quickly and forcefully.”

Read the full story:

HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA - AUGUST 07: Lisa Taylor receives a COVID-19 vaccination from RN Jose Muniz as she takes part in a vaccine study 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. The center is recruiting volunteers to participate in the clinical trials, working with the Federal Government and major Pharmaceutical Companies, that are racing to develop a vaccine to potentially prevent COVID-19. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Related article US lawmakers want e-cigarettes banned from college campuses this fall due to coronavirus

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

New Zealand reported its first Covid-19 death in more than three months on Friday, according to its health ministry.

The ministry reported the man in his 50s was linked to the August Auckland cluster.

New Zealand’s last reported death from the virus was on May 28. The country’s death toll from Covid-19 now stands at 23.

“It’s with a very heavy heart we acknowledge that COVID-19 has taken the life of someone in our community. Our thoughts are with this person’s family and whānau,” the NZ government tweeted.

The United States reported 6,506 new Covid-19 cases and 1,070 deaths on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

There are at least 6,150,016 cases of the virus in the US and at least 186,790 people have died, JHU said.

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 the US cases:

Relatives wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as a precaution lower the body of a COVID-19 victim for burial at a graveyard in New Delhi, India.

India reported 83,341 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, another highest daily increase for the country, according to the Indian Health Ministry.

It follows 83,337 Covid-19 cases reported on Thursday.

The nation’s caseload now stands at 3,936,747, with least 3,037,151 of those making recoveries, according to the health ministry.

India also recorded 1,096 new coronavirus-related fatalities on Friday, bringing the confirmed nationwide death toll to 68,472.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern looks on at the Manukau Institute of Technology on September 3, in Auckland, New Zealand. Hannah Peters/Getty Images

New Zealand will remain at Alert Level 2 until September 16 to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in a press conference Friday.

“There’s still a chance of spread outside of Auckland. If that does happen. Level Two ceilings lessen the impact of any spread. That means we avoid further fall out,” Ardern said.

What is Alert Level 2: Face coverings are mandatory on public transportation and no more than 100 people are allowed at gatherings. 

Auckland remains at Level 2.5, allowing for no more than 10 people at gatherings, after the city was linked to a Covid-19 cluster in August.

“At this stage, the Auckland cluster remains contained and there is no indication at this stage that Auckland needs, for instance, to move back to level three,” Ardern said.

The government will reevaluate alert levels on September 14, the Prime Minister added. 

New Zealand has 1,413 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus after reporting five new cases Friday. Of the new cases, two were imported and under the age of nine years old, the government said.

Keith Gambrell feels minorities are getting blamed for dying from coronavirus. 

“They say, ‘Oh, it’s because of the way you guys eat. It’s the way you guys are living,” he said. “I guess it’s a blame game for everything that the minorities do. Like, how do you blame someone for dying at home?”

Gambrell, 33, lost his father to Covid-19 and says he had to fight to get treatment for his mother. He is himself still suffering from the effects of the virus that also struck his brothers.

This family is just one example of how hard coronavirus has hit minorities in the United States, and Black people in particular. 

Blacks are dying at a rate 2.4 times higher than Whites, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Native Americans and Latinos are also dying at about 1.5 times the rate of that of Whites and Asian Americans, the data shows. 

In Michigan, nearly 40% of all deaths in the state were Blacks – including Gambrell’s father, Gary Fowler – even though they make up only 22% of the cases, the Covid Tracking Project data shows.

Read the full story:

Keith Gambrell, right, stands next to his mother Cheryl Fowler, his brothers, sister and niece.

Related article Black Americans, hit hardest by the pandemic, feel they're hurt by both the virus and inequities tied to race

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, September 3.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday mocked Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for wearing a face mask even as the US continues to lead the world in coronavirus cases, with more than 6 million infections.

Speaking to a largely mask-less crowd in Pennsylvania, Trump asked his supporters if they know “a man that likes a mask as much” as Biden.

“It gives him a feeling of security,” the President said. “If I was a psychiatrist, I’d say this guy has some big issues.” 

Trump’s comments, which came the day after the US topped 185,000 Covid-19 deaths, run counter to the advice of public health experts, who have emphasized the importance of face coverings amid the country’s reopening, given that people without symptoms could unknowingly transmit the virus.

Masks are primarily to prevent people who have the virus from infecting others.

Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil speaks during the presentation of a bridge development project over the Ribeira de Iguape River, on September 3.

President Jair Bolsonaro has said he won’t approve a Covid-19 vaccine for the public until after the country’s health surveillance agency (ANVISA) gives a second opinion. 

Speaking in his weekly Facebook live video on Thursday – just hours after Brazil’s health ministry announced the country had surpassed 4 million Covid-19 cases – Bolsonaro said vaccines developed in the United States, the European Union, Japan and China, while “scientifically proven in these other countries,” would require further examination to be used for immunizations in Brazil. 

On Monday, Bolsonaro was recorded on cell phone video telling a supporter he wouldn’t make a Covid-19 vaccine mandatory in Brazil.

Brazil’s health ministry followed up Wednesday, confirming that no one would be forced to receive the vaccine. Bolsonaro repeated that pledge in Thursday’s broadcast, drawing support from the country’s anti-vaxxer community. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking states to get ready to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by as early as next month. The CEO of Pfizer says he thinks it’s possible his company will have enough data to ask the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for authorization by October.

And officials inside the FDA have told CNN that US President Donald Trump has consistently pressed agencies to speed up their timeline for developing a vaccine so he can have a vaccine victory by Election Day.

But is it really possible we could have a coronavirus vaccine by November?

 If you add seven months to July, you get February.

That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to have an answer before then: If one of the vaccines being tested is highly effective, and there is a high rate of infection among trial volunteers, it’s possible many people who got placebo shots would get infected quickly.

“If you had a highly effective vaccine, maybe you’d find that five months from designing the trial,” Corey said.

But if you add five months to July, you get December.

Read the full story:

A nurse shows a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech at the Sao Lucas Hospital, in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil on August 08, 2020. - The vaccine trial is being carried out in Brazil in partnership with Brazilian Research Institute Butanta. (Photo by SILVIO AVILA/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Here's why it's unlikely we'll have a coronavirus vaccine by Election Day

Facing a persistent polling deficit and a struggling economy, US President Donald Trump has cranked up pressure on administration health officials to expedite work both on a coronavirus vaccine and on treatments that might signal to voters there is an end in sight to the life-altering pandemic that has imperiled his reelection prospects. 

In his public remarks and through private prodding, Trump has pushed for more good news on the pandemic, insisting that even developments considered minor by health experts be expanded into major announcements for which he can claim credit.

And he’s looking to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the biggest one.

Facing one of the most critical moments in its tenure since it was founded over 100 years ago, officials inside the FDA say the tension is palpable.

A number of sources familiar with the internal workings told CNN the responsibility feels immense and the environment is akin to that of a pressure cooker. In the last week alone, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn was forced to apologize for an overhyped plasma announcement, subsequently removed a newly installed communications aide, and found himself on the receiving end of criticism from the West Wing.

Read the full story:

U.S. President Donald Trump listens to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn (R) speak on the latest developments of the coronavirus outbreak, in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House March 19, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Related article Trump puts pressure on FDA for coronavirus silver bullet ahead of Election Day

The Australian state of Victoria reported 81 fresh coronavirus cases and 59 related deaths on Friday, according to its health department. 

The relatively high number of new fatalities comes after a backlog of deaths was reported from July and August.

“There were 81 new cases and sadly 59 deaths,” a tweet from the health department read. “This includes 50 people in aged care who passed away in July - August.” 

Victoria had a significant rise in cases over August, with many new infections in aged-care homes and among health care workers. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced a state of emergency on August 3.

Nevada’s coronavirus task force voted Thursday to allow some restaurants in the Las Vegas area to reopen next week as Covid-19 numbers decline.

Beginning next Wednesday, Clark County restaurants with countertop services, including diners and sushi restaurants, will be able to reopen with social distancing. Bars and taverns that don’t serve food must remain closed.

Despite a substantial drop in new daily cases statewide over the last month, “we have a long way to go considering the fact that we started out so high,” Gov. Steve Sisolak said in a Thursday briefing.

Clark County has a test positivity rate above 10%, as does neighboring Nye County. 

Sisolak warned Nevadans not to be complacent over the Labor Day holiday weekend. 

“Please, celebrate with your immediate family,” the governor said. “Have a cookout in your backyard, watch some TV, whatever it might be. But please do not have large gatherings.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended Michigan’s State of Emergency until October 1 at 11:59 p.m. due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a release from her office.

In early August, every region in Michigan saw an uptick in new cases which recently put the state past the 100,000 Covid-19 cases mark, though the state’s percent positivity rate remains below the national average at 3.3%, the release said. 

To note: These numbers were released by the state’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.

Brazil surpassed 4 million cases of coronavirus on Thursday as a growing number of infections continue to be recorded throughout the country.

The health ministry reported 43,773 new cases of Covid-19 and 834 deaths on Thursday evening, bringing total confirmed cases in Brazil to 4,041,638 and its death toll to 124,614. 

After the United States, Brazil has the second-highest number of coronavirus infections and deaths globally, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Brazil also joins the US as only the second country in the world to have passed the grim milestone of 4 million infections. 

A silver lining: While cases and deaths continue to rise, both Brazil’s infection rate and virus-related mortality rate appeared to decline last month; CNN analysis showed.

An average of 869 deaths were recorded daily in the final week of August, the country’s lowest daily average since May 20.

Some more context: This news follows the health ministry’s announcement on Wednesday that the Covid-19 vaccination will not be mandatory when it becomes available in Brazil – although the ministry’s executive secretary, Elcio Franco, said the vaccine “will be a great tool for us to return to normal.”

The Brazilian economy has also taken a significant hit from the pandemic.

According to data from the country’s Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazil officially entered a recession on Tuesday after marking a historic 9.7% fall in GDP in the second quarter of 2020.