The latest on the coronavirus pandemic

Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has ended for today. Follow CNN’s website for further updates.

Levels of stress and depression rose steadily in the United States as the coronavirus pandemic worsened, researchers reported Friday.

Their study of more than 6,500 people shows conflicting messages on news and social media may have worsened people’s stress, the researchers reported in the journal Science Advances.

They used polling data from three nationally representative groups of people interviewed at 10-day intervals in March and April.

People were immersed in news an average of seven hours a day, they found. Acute stress increased as time went on, the surveys showed.

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

An influential coronavirus model has updated its forecast for January, predicting a “most likely” scenario of 378,321 US deaths by January 1 – a drop compared to the estimation just a week ago.

The new Covid-19 forecast from the?Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington projects 36,769 fewer deaths than it did last week. In that earlier prediction, it forecast?415,090 US deaths from the coronavirus.

Even fewer people would die if universal mask mandates were put in place, IHME said – an estimated 263,483 people. But if current mandates are eased, the number of projected deaths soars to 445,605.

If mandates are eased, the IHME calculates that 8,571 people would die every day in the US by Jan. 1.?Currently, the model projects 3,268 daily deaths – and that would tumble to 1,322 if universal mask use were in place.?

Former designated hitter David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox smiles during a team workout on February 20 in Fort Myers, Florida.

Baseball legend David Ortiz admitted Friday to having had Covid-19.

Ortiz told New England Sports Network announcers during Friday’s Major League Baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

“Yeah, man, I just got it. I just had my last test yesterday. Thank God I tested negative,” Ortiz said, adding that he was asymptomatic so he didn’t struggle too badly.

“My brother had it really bad, he had to be in the hospital for about a week. He ended up losing like 25 pounds and, man, this is no joke. You don’t realize how crazy this is until it hits home.”

The US reported 6.7 million cases of Covid-19 and over 198,000 deaths as of Friday, according to?Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases.

Ortiz’s bout with Covid-19 comes more than a year after?he was shot in the Dominican Republic. He was in intensive care for almost two weeks and returned home in July 2019.

The young woman and her sister had traveled across Europe just as the coronavirus pandemic was taking off there, visiting Milan and Paris before heading to London.

When the woman left London on March 1, she had a sore throat and cough as she boarded a flight home to Vietnam. But no one noticed.

By the time she got off the flight in Hanoi 10 hours later, 15 other people who had been on the plane with her were infected, researchers reported Friday.

This story is one of two published Friday demonstrating how coronavirus can spread on airline flights, and suggesting that simply spacing people out a little will not fully protect them.

In another incident, passengers on a flight from Boston to Hong Kong appear to have infected two flight attendants.

Both cases involved long flights early in the pandemic, before airlines began requiring face masks.

Read more here:

Passengers onboard an American Airlines flight to Charlotte, NC at San Diego International Airport on May 20, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)

Related article Coronavirus can spread on airline flights, two studies show

The idea that anyone can say there’s going to be a coronavirus vaccine before the studies have even been completed is stunning, Dr. Richard Besser, a former acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday.

US President Donald Trump promised earlier Friday that the United States will have enough Covid-19 vaccine for every American by April.

Trump said that as soon as a coronavirus vaccine is approved, the administration will deliver it to Americans immediately – within 24 hours – with at least 100 million doses also available before the end of the year.

Besser, now CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said he was optimistic there will be a Covid-19 vaccine, because of the large effort being put into making one and the variety of different vaccine types being tested.

Besser urged health officials to continue communication around masks, social distancing and other mitigation practices, and “not wait for a vaccine to save the day.”?

White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Scott Atlas speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington DC, on September 18.

White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Scott Atlas told CNN’s Erin Burnett Friday that “there’s no sound science that shows that you should have all populations wear a mask in all circumstances.”

Atlas repeatedly stated that he agrees with US President Trump’s stance on masks.

Asked if he has concerns, as a doctor, about the large crowds of people gathering at Trump rallies without masks, Atlas said, “I have no problem with people taking independent responsibility for their lives.”

Trump April vaccine promise “factually true”: During the interview, Atlas defended Trump’s claim that a Covid-19 vaccine will be widely available by April.

Atlas did acknowledge that no vaccine has actually been authorized or approved yet by the US Food and Drug Administration.?

Hear more:

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House on Friday in Washington.

President Trump said today that the United States will have enough Covid-19 vaccines for every American by April.

There’s been a lot of news about the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine lately. Here’s a look at some of the biggest developments:

Most children in British Columbia can now say goodbye to those icky swabs and uncomfortable Covid-19 tests as the province launches a new gargle method for students ages 4 to 19.

“It is one of the first of its kind around the world,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer at a news conference Thursday.

The BC Centre for Disease Control said the new test is just as accurate as tests using a nasal swab and is much easier to administer for children.

“This is a new saline gargle where you put a little bit of normal saline, so sterile water, in your mouth and you swish it around a little bit and you spit it into a little tube and that’s an easier way to collect it for young people,” said Henry.

Public health officials in British Columbia say they compared test results in both children and adults and found the rate of Covid-19 detection was very similar between the nasal swab and the new gargle test.

British Columbia is prioritizing children for the new test but hopes to expand to adults in the coming weeks.

While the sample will still have to be taken to a lab for processing, the test does not have to be administered by a health care professional.

With the majority of students in?Canada?are now attending school in person, Covid-19 testing is in high demand as?Canada?has seen a doubling of new daily cases in the last month.

A person walks past the Bel Aire diner on May 20 in the Astoria neighborhood in the Queens borough in New York City.

New York City diners may soon see a Covid-19 surcharge on their bills as the restaurant industry continues to hobble amid the coronavirus pandemic.?

The New York City Council passed a bill Wednesday 46-2 that would allow restaurants to charge as much as 10% on customers dining indoors or outdoors in order to help cover restaurants’ Covid-19 expenses.?

Termed the “COVID-19 Recovery Charge,” the surcharge does not include any tax to be paid, nor applies to delivery or takeout orders. A restaurant implementing the surcharge is free to use the new funds however they like, though must also make it clear that the surcharge is not a substitute for a tip or gratuity for waitstaff.

Republican city councilman Joseph Borelli, the bill’s prime sponsor, told CNN that the new option will help owners who don’t want to go through the trouble of raising prices on their menus.?

Michigan State University.

Schools and universities have implemented augmented learning styles as Covid-19 infections continue to be reported on campuses around the US.

Here’s the latest on schools and universities around the country:

More than 10 million N95 masks purchased using a $90 million contract?are being recalled by the state of California, according to Brian Ferguson, spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

The state was notified on Sept. 11 that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) had withdrawn its temporary certification of N95 masks made by the Santa Clara-based company Advoque Safeguard?and immediately began recalling them, Ferguson told CNN.

According to Ferguson,?10.2 million of these masks have been received and 7.2 million of those had been distributed as of Sept. 8.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) notified all recipients of these masks of the change in certification and directed these masks “no longer be used in settings requiring the use of this essential PPE,” Ferguson said.

About the masks: N95 masks, which filters at least 95% of airborne particles, are the most common respirators approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has recommended N95 masks for essential workers to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

Ferguson explained that the NIOSH certification is an explicit requirement of all state contracts for N95 masks to ensure that frontline workers can be confident that the masks meet federal health and safety standards.

“It is a condition of the contract, and is incumbent upon the vendor, to maintain this certification,” he said.

Despite the state’s recall of all N95 masks made by Advoque Safeguard, the company announced in a letter to its customers and distributors on Wednesday that it is not conducting a recall of their masks, but have established a “product replacement program” as a courtesy to their customers.

“NIOSH has not asked us to implement a recall but has requested that we be diligent in informing our customers of the situation, and we are doing so,” Advoque Safeguard co-founder and chief technology officer Jason Azevedo said in a statement to CNN. “Additionally, Advoque Safeguard has instituted an exchange program for N95 respirators.”?

The exact reason for the recall is unknown and has not been explained. CNN has reached out to the CDPH and NIOSH for additional details.

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on Friday in Washington.

President Trump claimed that there will be enough vaccines for all Americans by April, shattering estimates from medical experts within his own administration.?

“We’ll have manufactured at least 100 million vaccine doses before the end of the year, and likely much more than that,” he continued. “Millions of doses will be available every month, and we expect to have enough vaccines for every American by April.”

Those estimates are “based on the manufacturing that’s in process,” Trump said.??

White House coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas said those individuals prioritized on the list include high-risk individuals and first responders.

Some background: Earlier this week, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a Senate hearing that it would likely be the second or third quarter of next year – that means late spring or summer – before widespread vaccination could be underway in the US. Asked about this during a news conference later in the day, Trump said Redfield “made a mistake” and was “confused.”

Trump told reporters in today’s White House news conference they think they can beat Redfield’s number and timeline “very substantially.”

President Trump is speaking now, briefing reporters on the race to find a coronavirus vaccine.

The President said that once a vaccine has been approved, the US will be ready to begin distribution within one day.

“Distribution will begin within 24 hours after notice,” Trump said. “Massive amounts will be delivered through our great military.”

This is inline with the government’s vaccine plans released earlier this week: On Wednesday, the federal government released its distribution plans, which detailed how Operation Warp Speed aims to have Covid-19 vaccines moving to administration sites within 24 hours of an FDA license or emergency use authorization, an official said. And the aim is to make them free of charge.

“We will move that as fast as possible, within a day or so, to administration sites after we get the word from the FDA,” said Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, the deputy chief of supply, production and distribution for the federal government’s Covid-19 vaccine effort, said during a briefing.

Watch here:

A medical worker wearing protective equipment uses a swab to do a PCR test for Covid-19 on a woman wearing a face mask in front of the city hall of Paris on August 31.

France has recorded 13,215 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, according to data released by the country’s National Health Agency.

The latest numbers also show an increasing trend in hospital admissions, with 3,626 new patients over the past seven days.

The new infections bring the total number of confirmed cases in France to 428,696.

Read the latest news on the pandemic in Europe here.

Dr. Robert Redfield holds up a CDC document while he speaks at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee reviewing coronavirus response efforts on September 16 in Washington.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website has updated, yet again, guidelines for testing people who do not have symptoms of coronavirus.

The new language rolls back controversial changes made to the site last month. It once again stresses that anyone who has been in contact with an infected person should be tested for coronavirus.

“Due to the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, this guidance further reinforces the need to test asymptomatic persons, including close contacts of a person with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection,” it says.

“Viral tests are recommended to diagnose acute infection of both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, to guide contact tracing, treatment options, and isolation requirements,”?the site now says.

The guidance notes that even if?people?do not have symptoms,?they?still need a test if they have been in close contact — such as within 6 feet — of a person with coronavirus infection for at least 15 minutes.

“In areas where there are a small number of new cases and limited spread, your public health department may request a small number of asymptomatic ‘healthy people’ to be tested,” the guidance says. “If there is significant spread of the virus in your community, your public health department may request significant numbers of asymptomatic “healthy people” to be tested in order to help stop the spread of the virus.”

On Aug. 24, the CDC site was changed to say: “If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms, you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.

The move was heavily criticized by doctors and health agencies.?

Two sources told CNN the August change was sent to the CDC by the US Department of Health and Human Services and was supposed to go through a vetting process that includes?a director of science, fact-checking, cross-checking and several back-and-forths for scientific review — a process that can take several days. As the document was going through the process, one of the sources told CNN they woke up one morning and saw that the unaltered document had been posted on the CDC’s website in its original form and including some errors.

In a statement Thursday night, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told CNN, “The guidelines, coordinated in conjunction with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, received appropriate attention, consultation and input from task force experts.”

Travel restrictions on the United States’ shared borders with Canada and Mexico have been extended through Oct. 21, acting US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan?announced on Twitter?Friday.

The announcement marks the latest extension of restrictions on nonessential travel after limits were initially put in place in late March.?

Remember: Thousands of people cross the US-Mexico border daily for work, school and other activities. Essential travel includes individuals traveling for medical purposes, attending school or engaged in trade, like truck drivers, among others, according to a regulation notice published in late July.?

As the positivity rates in Florida’s Broward County fall between 2 and 4%, the schools face pressure to reopen. But the president of the Broward Teachers Union says they are not able to trust that the numbers are accurate because of the politics involved in the situation.

Broward County School Superintendent Robert Runcie is recommending Broward schools reopen for in-person learning on Oct. 5, according to a tweet from the superintendent’s verified account.?

Other than the numbers, the threat to hold back funding if schools don’t reopen for in-person classes also looms large, Fusco says. But to return to school, she says hiring more staff, sanitization plans and facilities as well as ample personal protective equipment and hygiene products are basic requirements.

“We have 206 schools.?We have some schools that have been?around over 40 years, so things?like that that need to be put in?place, [like] air quality and?sanitizing and cleanliness and?just enough staff to be out?there and about and taking care?of that intermittent cleaning.?It shouldn’t be put on the?teachers to take care of that.?It all boils down to finding.”

Some background: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, described in August how communities could approach reopening schools for in-person learning, saying that schools in communities with less than a 5% positivity rate — designated as a green zone — can explore allowing for schools to reopen but with with adequate precautions. These measures include wearing masks, opening windows and having susceptible children work remotely.

Watch the interview:

A recent CDC testing guidance was published outside normal review process, according to a report published Thursday by The New York Times, and the document was sent to the CDC by the US Department of Health and Human Services, a source told CNN.

Dr. Syra Madad, senior director of special pathogens program at NYC Health + Hospitals said the new report “means that the political?interference is ongoing,” adding that science is “taking a?back seat and that political?interference is what we’re?dealing with.”

“That recommendation is?absolutely not based on science.?It’s not based on epidemiology,” she added.

Madad emphasized the importance of trusting health agencies at this point during the pandemic to maintain public trust. Issuing testing guidance outside normal review process undermines the medical community, she adds.

People visit Central Park in New York on September 6.

Coronavirus in the United States can be “overturned,” Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for the World Health Organization’s coronavirus response, told CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Friday.?

Her comments come as the US approaches the grim milestone of 200,000 coronavirus deaths. Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins University data shows an uptick in new cases compared to the previous week in a majority of US states.

Van Kerkhove said she knows there is frustration about how long it takes to defeat the virus, and that some places aren’t seeing case numbers go down – but that it is important to keep perspective that it can change.

“I’ve had people call me and say, could you please stop saying” the virus can be defeated, since it’s not under control where live, Van Kerkhove said.?

“And what I say to them is, we have seen it over and over and over again, demonstrated over and over and over again, that it can be,” Van Kerkhove said. “And so that’s why we keep encouraging people to do so and laying out the tools – not just saying you can do it, but laying out the tools. And in the United States, this can be overturned … you can overcome this and you will. And I know you will.”

Listen to Maria Van Kerkhove:

As the United States approaches the grim milestone of 200,000 coronavirus deaths, Johns Hopkins University data shows an uptick in new cases compared to the previous week in a majority of US states.

Here’s a look at those latest trends on the US map:

The US added?at least 44,360 new Covid-19 cases?and?870 reported deaths?on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.??

The?nation has a seven-day average of new daily cases of?39,759.?This number has been creeping up over the last few days, now to?13% more?than the previous week.???

The US continues to lead the world in total coronavirus cases. There have been at least 6.6 million?cases in the country since the first case was?reported?in January.??

Track Covid-19 cases in your state here.?

Medical workers tend to a Covid-19 patient at a hospital in Strasbourg, France, on September 15.

The worrying Covid-19 trends in Europe includes an increase in hospitalizations and people who are needing intensive care treatment, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead for coronavirus.?

The UK has doubled hospitalizations every eight days or so, Van Kerkhove said on CNN’s New Day on Friday, and there are parts of France that are reaching ICU capacity.?

Given that the northern hemisphere hasn’t yet really hit autumn or winter or even started to hit the flu season, “we’re worried that these increasing numbers of hospitalizations and ICU are really going to overburden an already burdened system,” Van?Kerkhove said.?

Flu vaccines will be key this year, she said.

“So we really need to see flu vaccination uptake increased across the northern hemisphere this year, especially this year,” she said. “Because we have a tool against flu, we don’t yet have that for Covid, but we have it for flu. And that will help, and it will particularly help vulnerable populations.”?

People walk in downtown Madrid on September 17.

The?World Health Organization?yesterday warned that?coronavirus?cases are surging alarmingly in Europe, as a “very serious situation” unfolds across the continent.

Weekly cases are now more than those reported at the peak of the pandemic in Europe, WHO said.

With cases spiking around Europe, some areas are implementing new restrictions to fight the pandemic. Here’s what you need to know about this morning about in coronavirus in Europe:

“A heavily criticized recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month about who should be tested for the coronavirus was not written by C.D.C. scientists and was posted to the agency’s website despite their serious objections,” according to a report published Thursday by The New York Times.

A source has now corroborated this story to CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, confirming that the document regarding testing was sent to the CDC by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The document was supposed to go through a vetting process that includes a director of science, fact-checking, cross-checking and several back-and-forths for scientific review. As it was going through the process – which can take several days – the source tells CNN that they woke up the next morning and saw that the document had been posted on the CDC’s website unaltered, in its original form and including some errors.

In a statement Thursday night, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told CNN, “The guidelines, coordinated in conjunction with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, received appropriate attention, consultation and input from task force experts.”

Redfield testified this week that the testing guidelines are expected to be updated soon to offer more clarity.

White House testing czar Adm. Brett Giroir said in a previous briefing that the entire Coronavirus Task Force had signed off on this document. CNN has also previously reported that Dr. Anthony Fauci was under general anesthesia for vocal cord surgery during this particular task force meeting.?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports:

Maria Van Kerkhove on CNN's "New Day" on September 18.

There is a “worrying trend” of increased hospitalizations and intensive care unit rates in some European countries, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme Covid-19 technical lead.

She said there is an increase of circulation of the virus, with outbreaks in younger people as societies open up.

The United Kingdom has a doubling of hospitalizations about every eight days, and parts of France are reaching ICU capacity, she said.?

“If the beds are full with?Covid patients, it will be very?challenging for the health care?system to deal with other?respiratory diseases,” she said, encouraging people to get their flu shots as fall and winter approach.?

Some background: Van Kerkhove’s comments come after WHO warned yesterday that?coronavirus?cases are surging alarmingly in Europe, as a “very serious situation” unfolds across the continent.

As Covid-19 infections spike to record numbers, European governments are imposing strict local measures and weighing up further lockdowns in a bid to halt a second wave of the pandemic.

But WHO regional director Hans Kluge said at a Thursday news conference that the increase in cases should serve as a warning of what is to come.

“Weekly cases have now exceeded those reported when the pandemic first peaked in Europe in March,” Kluge said. “Last week, the region’s weekly tally exceeded 300,000 patients.”

Watch the interview:

With reporting from CNN’s reporting Laura Smith-Spark and Vasco Cotovio

A woman uses hand sanitizer in Leeds, England, on September 11.

The UK government has announced further restrictions for parts of England – including in the country’s northwest, West Yorkshire and Midlands – to tackle rising Covid-19 infection rates.?

Residents in these areas will be banned from socialising with people outside of their household and “support bubble.”?

In the northwest, specifically in Merseyside, Warrington, Halton?and?Lancashire, hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service, while restaurants, pubs and cinemas will be required to close by 10 p.m.

These measures do not apply to Bolton or Greater Manchester where separate restrictions are already in place.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said these areas had seen “cases of coronavirus rise fast,” and that the government was acting to support local leaders, who had “asked for stronger restrictions.

England has reported 329,213 coronavirus cases overall, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

The United Kingdom has officially reported more than 41,000 fatalities from the pandemic, the fifth-highest death toll in the world.

People visit a beach in Nice, France, on August 27.

Local authorities in the French city of Nice have banned public gatherings of more than 10 people on beaches and in parks, as part of new measures to fight a surge of cases in the country.

All bars and restaurants will have to close their doors at 12.30am and all visits in Nice’s public care homes have been suspended.

The authorities have banned public events of more than 1,000 attendees and canceled the ‘European Heritage Days’ celebration, a series of cultural events set for this weekend.

On Thursday, health minister Olivier Veran warned of an “increasingly deteriorating situation,” and asked local authorities in the cities of Lyon and Nice to propose new measures by Saturday “to halt the virus circulation”.

The two cities are facing an incidence rate way above the alert threshold, which set at 50 cases per 100,000 people.

Nice is currently at a rate of 150 cases per 100,000 and Lyon is at 200 per 100,000.

Dubai’s Civil Aviation Authority has suspended Air India Express flights until October 2 after two passengers who tested positive for coronavirus arrived in the emirate on two separate flights from the airline.

In a Friday press release, Air India Express, a budget subsidiary of the national carrier Air India, confirmed it had received a notice of suspension from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday.

The airline’s operations to Dubai Airport will be temporarily suspended “on account of erroneous acceptance of one Covid positive passenger by the airline’s ground handling agents at Delhi and Jaipur on Air India Express flights to Dubai on August 28 and September 4 respectively,” the statement said.

Travelers who were seated in close proximity to the passengers have undergone tests and been placed in quarantine.

Ground staff handling agencies have taken “appropriate punitive action against their employees who have been held accountable for the lapse at Delhi and Jaipur,” the statement added.

The novel coronavirus has now infected more than 30 million people worldwide and killed more than 946,000. Here’s what you need to know

In-person voting has officially started in some parts of the United States for the November 2020 election, with at least 10 states allowing residents to begin casting their votes in September.

Alabama was first out of the gate, allowing voters to cast an absentee ballot in person as of September 9. Pennsylvania followed on September 14, and Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming started on September 18.

Delaware, Vermont, Illinois and Michigan round out the September calendar. In October, voters in at least 35 states and DC can begin voting early or absentee in-person.

Voting in person is a cherished right for many Americans – and for people concerned that their ballot might be lost in the mail, delivering their mail-in or absentee ballot may be their preferred option this year.

Standing in long lines at the polling center with people who may or may not be wearing masks, often inside buildings without good ventilation, certainly raises your risk of catching Covid-19.

But there are things you can do to reduce risk if you vote in person.

Read more:

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 01: Voters prepare their ballots in voting booths during early voting for the California presidential primary election at an L.A. County 'vote center' on March 1, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles County and 14 other counties in California have transitioned from traditional polling places to 'vote centers' which allow residents the freedom to vote at any voting center in their county. California is one of 14 states participating in the Super Tuesday vote on March 3. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Related article In-person early voting: How to stay safe from Covid-19

An Air New Zealand flight taxis after it landed at Sydney International Airport in Australia on September 18.

Australia is set to increase its cap on the number of its citizens allowed to return to the country each week from 4,000 to 6,000, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a Friday news conference.

The restriction on the number of returning Australians has meant some international flights into the country have been 90% empty, CNN has previously reported.

That is despite as many as 25,000 Australians abroad waiting to return home, the federal government has acknowledged.

All travelers to Australia are required to spend 14 days in a quarantined hotel at their own cost.?

Morrison said Friday that Australia was working towards the first elements of a travel bubble with New Zealand.

Australia currently has 26,813 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 832 deaths, according to its health department.

The health department said there has been an average of 44 new cases per day in the past week, with the majority of new cases coming from Victoria.

Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands attends Prinsjesdag, the traditional opening of parliament, on September 15 in The Hague, Netherlands.

Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, brother to the country’s King Willem-Alexander, is self-isolating after coming into “close contact” with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.

Prince Constantijn was pictured?on Tuesday attending Prinsjesdag, the traditional opening of the Dutch parliament, without a face mask.

He said on Twitter that the contact was a week ago, so he would remain in isolation for another three days.

New Zealand has recorded no new Covid-19 cases for the first time since August 10, according to its Ministry of Health.

No infections were detected after labs processed 7,360 tests on Thursday, the ministry said Friday.

Last month a cluster of cases in the country’s largest city, Auckland, ended a run of 102 days without a case of community transmission in the nation of 5 million people.

The Auckland cluster is now under control, the New Zealand government said this week, with 54 people connected to the outbreak remaining in managed isolation.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said earlier this week that current social distancing regulations will be re-evaluated on Monday should cases remain low.

The Barberis family will be traveling and living in a 17-meter sail boat called Shibumi, meaning "refined beauty" in Japanese.

The oceans have emptied over the past few months, with seagoing voyagers around the world seeking safe harbor amid fears that Covid outbreaks or restrictions could leave them stranded with nowhere to go.

Which makes the decision of one Italian family to embark on an epic adventure in a sailboat seem all the more courageous or, in the eyes of some, foolhardy.

Stefano and Sara Barberis, a couple in their 40s from a small town in the northern region of Lombardy, have sold their house to fund their year-long trip, during which they aim to cross the Atlantic, explore the Caribbean and perhaps further afield.

Accompanying them will be their three children, Iago, aged 11, Nina, aged eight, and Timo, a three-year-old. Pepper, a Labrador dog, will also be along for the ride.

Read more:

Related article Covid has stopped most adventures. But this family is still setting sail on an epic voyage

A New Year’s Eve firework display which traditionally takes place in central London has been canceled this year, said Sadiq Khan, the city’s Mayor. Speaking to the radio station LBC on Friday, Khan said the official celebrations have been halted to prevent crowds congregating in the center of the British capital.??

According to Khan, the threat of the virus means that “we simply cannot afford to have the numbers of people who congregate on New Year’s Eve congregating.”

Khan also said that local curfews and lockdowns “may well be coming to London” as case numbers continue to rise in the city. Referencing restrictions in northeast England that force pubs, bars, and restaurants to close at 10 p.m., Khan said that similar restrictions may be introduced in London if necessary, to curb the spread of the virus.?

Khan said he was “keen to avoid” such restrictions being imposed in the city, but “fully supported the rule of six”, which bans more than six people gathering in England.?

The Mayor said that he and his team are looking into doing “something that people can enjoy in the comfort and safety of their living rooms?on TV.” He added that that London can’t afford to lose the New Year’s Eve slot and the opportunity it provides to showcase to the world “how wonderful our city is.”?

A health worker in Utrecht, Netherlands, tests someone for Covid-19 on August 31.

The demand for coronavirus tests is exceeding supply in the Netherlands, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said Friday, as the government announced that medical and education workers would get testing priority from Monday.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will hold a press conference Friday evening at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET), where he is likely to announce new pandemic measures, national broadcaster NOS reported.

Rutte was asked in the Dutch Parliament on Thursday to confirm reports that the new measures would involve making cafes and restaurants close early in some areas of the country.

The PM said that ministers were “still discussing” what action to take with regional officials, according to NOS.

Coronavirus cases have spiked dramatically in the Netherlands, rising more than 50% week over week. The daily reported infections are now higher than they were this spring, with 1,756 new infections reported on Thursday, according to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.

Thursday marked the third-straight day of record case numbers.

When the presidents of two historically Black colleges in the US announced they were participating in a Covid-19 vaccine trial, they hoped to encourage other African Americans to do the same to ensure that an eventual vaccine has been tested on – and is effective for – people of color.

Instead, they’ve been met with widespread skepticism from people?who point to the United States’ history?of unethical medical experiments on Black people.

Presidents Walter Kimbrough of Dillard University and Reynold Verret of Xavier University sent letters to their university communities earlier this month saying they decided to participate in a Phase 3 trial of a vaccine in development by Pfizer.

Read more:

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 Two HBCU presidents join Covid-19 vaccine trials, but it will take a lot for Black communities to overcome mistrust of medical experiments

Jordan will imprison people who organize social gatherings for up to a year, Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said in a Thursday news conference, according to state news agency Petra.?

The strict penalties were brought in “to prevent… violations that caused [a] higher [infection] rate and triggered a surge in the Covid-19 cases during the past days,” the minister said, according to Petra.

Jordan moved quickly in mid-March to impose a strict lockdown and a state of emergency to curb coronavirus cases. As a result the country had one of the lowest infection rates in the Middle East.

In June, the government lifted restrictions after cases dropped to less than 10 a day.

But Covid-19 has surged in the country over the past month, with total infections reaching 4,131 after 279 people were reported to have coronavirus on Thursday.?

The new rules threaten to sanction anyone who organizes “a flouting gathering” and threaten jail sentences “for a period ranging from three months to a year.”

On Thursday, Jordan also imposed a two-week closure of schools after cases were reported in two areas in the Karak region, according to Petra.

The outgoing United States Ambassador to China has denounced Beijing’s initial handling of the coronavirus, saying that “what could have been contained in Wuhan ended up becoming a worldwide pandemic.”

Speaking to CNN in Beijing on Friday, Terry Branstad, a former longtime Iowa governor, agreed with US President Donald Trump that China was to blame for the pandemic, adding that the “Chinese system was such that they covered it up and even penalized the doctors who pointed it out at the beginning.”

Echoing criticisms of the Chinese Communist Party made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other White House officials, Branstad also blamed China’s system for leading to a spike in tensions and a degrading of one of Washington’s most consequential bilateral relationships.?

Sudden departure: Branstad surprised many observers when he?announced this week he was stepping down from the important diplomatic posting, which he has held since 2017, in order to return to the US.

He told CNN that he was keen to get back home, pointing out that he had been in the role “longer than the previous three ambassadors.”

Asked whether he will campaign on behalf of Trump, who may be relying on Branstad to help swing key Midwestern states, the ambassador said that “if the President asks me to appear at some of his events, I will, as I did in 2016.”

Read the full story:

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad speaks to the press after meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower on December 6, 2016 in New York.

Related article Outgoing US ambassador to China blames Beijing for coronavirus as he heads home to help Trump

With the timeline of a widely available vaccine still unknown, the United States’ top doctor says the country doesn’t have to wait to get?Covid-19?under control.?

It’s been done before – in places like New York, Adams said.?

How New York did it: The state was the hardest-hit by the virus in early spring, implemented one of the?earliest shutdown orders in the US?and reopened regions only when they met several health requirements. In recent weeks, New York has maintained an?infection rate?lower than 1%.

Community mitigation: It may sound like a simple solution to a complex problem, but health officials across the country have said that widespread adherence to safety measures like widespread mask usage could be nearly as powerful as another lockdown. And researchers with the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation?project?more than 115,000 lives could be saved by January if 95% of Americans wore masks.?

These measures, if implemented, could also mean a milder flu season this year, according to a new study.

“If extensive community mitigation measures continue throughout the fall, influenza activity in the United States might remain low and the season might be blunted or delayed,” according to a study published Thursday in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Read the full story:

Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health nurses Crys Kuntz, left, and Sara Nelson confer inside the Bismarck Event Center on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Bismarck, N.D., where vehicles were lined up for the weekly drive-thru COVID-19 testing. Coronavirus infections in the Dakotas are growing faster than anywhere else in the nation, fueling impassioned debates over masks, personal responsibility and freedom after months in which the two states avoided the worst of the pandemic. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

Related article The US doesn't have to wait for a vaccine to get Covid-19 under control, nation's top doctor says

If you thought Covid-19 restrictions, like enforced lockdowns and social distancing, would put a lasting dent in our collective carbon footprint and save the world from warming,?you were mistaken.

Earlier this year, in the midst of a horrific news cycle and a rapidly mounting death toll, that notion was a welcome silver lining to the pandemic.

As people around the world stayed at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus, greenhouse gas emissions from the energy and transport industries plummeted,?dropping to record lows.

But it may have given some a false sense that the worst effects of climate change were being mitigated.

They’re not.

Unfolding disasters: Just in the past week, we learned that massive glaciers are tearing loose from the?Antarctic?and?Greenland?ice sheets, driven by increasingly high temperatures at the poles, and, in turn, accelerating sea level rise and posing?enormous threats to the millions of people living in coastal areas.

Meanwhile, devastating?wildfires, fueled by hot, dry winds and “tinderbox” conditions, have scorched millions of acres across the western United States, triggering mass evacuations, claiming dozens of lives and sending smoke haze billowing across the country,?as far as Europe.

If that wasn’t enough, the Atlantic is also having one of its?busiest hurricane seasons on record, spurred by warm sea surface temperatures. To give you a sense of just how busy:?Hurricane Sally, which blew ashore as a Category 2 hurricane early Wednesday in Alabama, was one of five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic on Monday – a phenomenon that’s happened only once before,?almost 50 years ago.

Climate crisis: All of these extreme weather events can be linked to global warming, caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly from humans burning fossil fuels.

They’re grim reminders that the world has a much bigger existential crisis on its hands than Covid-19. And it will take a lot more than a few months of forgoing air and car travel to stop it.

Read the full story:

TOPSHOT - A woman walks along The Embarcadero under an orange smoke-filled sky in San Francisco, California on September 9, 2020. - More than 300,000 acres are burning across the northwestern state including 35 major wildfires, with at least five towns "substantially destroyed" and mass evacuations taking place. (Photo by Brittany Hosea-Small / AFP) (Photo by BRITTANY HOSEA-SMALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article The pandemic didn't solve climate change. This week's disasters are proof

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock does not rule out another national lockdown to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus in the United Kingdom, but says that is “the last line of defense.”

Hancock explained that a national lockdown would be the last in a list of measures the government has at its disposable to slow down the spread of the virus.?

“The first line of defense is that everybody should follow the social distancing, after that, these local lockdowns, and the last line of defense is for national action,” he said. “I don’t want to see that, but we will do whatever is necessary to keep people safe in a very difficult pandemic.”

Hancock encouraged people to stick to the new rules, which came into effect on Monday. “The country once again needs to come together and recognize there is a serious challenge, that the virus is accelerating,” he said.

Rising cases: The UK has seen a surge in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with daily new infections rising above 3,000.

In an interview with the BBC on Friday, Hancock descried the situation as “very serious.”

“We have seen an acceleration in the number of cases over the last couple of weeks and we’ve also sadly seen that the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus is doubling about every eight days, so we do need to take action,” he said.

Despite early efforts to keep inmates and staff safe, Covid-19 still spread rampant through one of the largest prison systems in the United States.

More than 12,400 inmates in California?have tested positive for Covid-19?and 60 have died, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. There have also been more than 3,400?confirmed cases among employees.

For advocates like Carroll who work with inmates to reduce the cycle of incarceration, the spread of the virus on the inside is concerning – as is the lack of resources on the outside to support the influx of early releases, Carroll says.

Carroll has taught an in-person life skills program at San Quentin State Prison for 20 years. In early March, she shifted to a virtual model to keep her students safe. As Covid-19 spread and more inmates were released – part of California’s effort to reduce population and maximize space – the calls for help escalated. Former inmates struggled to find support, housing and, in many cases, medical care.

Thousands of California inmates have been released early during the pandemic, and Carroll says many transitional homes, like the one she runs, are at capacity.

Carroll says her group provides assistance “almost 24/7,” offering referrals, food, medical supplies and support services to prevent recidivism. She wants those returning home to know there is hope and help as they get their lives back on track.

“We have to change our attitude. Do we make them successful at coming home, as a society? Do we help them? Or do we hinder it?” she said.

Read the full story:

Related article These CNN Heroes are helping a flood of newly released inmates adapt to a world gripped by Covid-19

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

School districts across the United States are still trying to figure out how to reopen safely amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic, and the results of a new study could make those decisions more difficult.

Between 42% and 51% of all school employees in the US met the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s criteria for having an increased risk of Covid-19 infection, researchers with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found.

Underlying health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, and older age put people into the highest risk groups, according to the CDC.

Factors for higher risk of infection: Obesity and high blood pressure were the main factors putting school employees at higher risk of infection, the study reported. Men were more vulnerable to the virus compared to women, and Blacks were more at risk than Whites.

The study, released as a pre-print ahead of peer review by the journal Health Affairs on Thursday, used data from between 2014 and 2017 to see how those most at risk for Covid-19 infection are connected to elementary and secondary schools either as employees or by living with staffers or school-aged children.

The study found low-skill support staff among school employees were more likely to be at increased risk of infection – more than 58% of them, compared to teachers and teaching assistants at 38%, or administrators and higher skilled staff at 39%.

Connection to high-risk adults: The analysis also found that 63% of school employees lived in homes where at least one adult was at high risk of contracting Covid-19;?59%?of school-age children lived in households with at least one vulnerable adult; and high schoolers were more likely than elementary school children to live with an adult vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Just over 35% of American adults were either school employees or lived with someone connected to an elementary or secondary school or a school age child, the study found.

Potential limitations: The data reviewed predated the pandemic and doesn’t account for the tremendous changes that have occurred in employment, school attendance or household members, and there’s a likelihood the study undercounts the true number of those connected to a school and meeting the CDC risk guidelines for Covid-19.

The United States reported?44,360?new Covid-19 infections and?870?virus-related deaths on Thursday, according to Johns?Hopkins?University.

At least?6,674,458?cases, including?197,633?fatalities, have now been recorded in the US.

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

CNN is tracking US cases here:

During his campaign’s highest week of ad spending, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden?tweeted?out an ad Tuesday attacking?President Donald Trump?for comments he has made over the pandemic. Specifically, the ad suggests that Trump has called the virus a hoax.

The 25-second ad begins with a clip of Trump at a campaign rally on February 28 in South Carolina. The ad plays a quick clip of Trump saying “the coronavirus” then it cuts to him saying “and this is their new hoax.” Text on the ad reads, “Trump in public: ‘Hoax.’”

Facts First:?This is a misleading attempt to suggest that Trump specifically called the coronavirus a hoax. While Trump’s comments were a bit confusing, Biden’s ad leaves out important context and dishonestly edits the two soundbites together.

Taken in totality, Trump’s comments at the February 28 rally indicate that he is deriding Democrats for attacking his performance on the coronavirus. A full 56 seconds pass between the two clips the campaign ad edited together.

In this section of his rally speech, Trump began by saying that “the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus,” ridiculing Democrats for attacking his administration’s performance addressing the virus. The President then compared this attack to the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and calling his impeachment a “hoax.”

Trump then said, “They’d been doing it since you got in. It’s all turning. They lost. It’s all turning. Think of it. Think of it. And this is their new hoax.”

Read the full fact check:

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks after participating in a coronavirus vaccine briefing with public health experts, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Related article Fact check: Biden ad misleadingly suggests Trump called Covid-19 a 'hoax'

A fan who attended the?Kansas City Chiefs’?opening night game?at Arrowhead Stadium on?September 10?has tested positive for Covid-19.

The?Kansas City Health Department said?the individual that tested positive watched the game from the group’s box in the lower level of the stadium and tested positive the following day. The positive test has prompted the Kansas City Health Department to direct 10 people there to quarantine after potential exposure to the coronavirus.

The Kansas City Chiefs were one of the few teams in the NFL that allowed fans into its stadium in Week 1.

All fans and personnel are required to wear a mask or face covering while in the stadium, and?the team said?that the stadium’s “COVID protocol plan limited potential exposure to a single seating zone within the stadium.”

The team said that its contact tracing mechanisms allowed staff to identify the individual, the individual’s party, any service staff that came into contact with the individual and any other ticket holders that may have been near this person while entering the stadium.

Read more:

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 10: The Kansas City Chiefs unveil their championship banner to fans before the start of a game Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on September 10, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Related article Chiefs fan who attended game tests positive for Covid-19 and now everyone who sat near them is in quarantine

Sarang-jeil Church pastor Jun Kwang-hoon speaks outside a detention center in Uiwang, South Korea, on April 20.

Seoul city on Friday announced plans to sue Sarang-jeil Church and its lead pastor Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon for damages relating to a coronavirus outbreak linked to the religious group in August.

In a news release, the city government said it will ask Jun and his church for 4.6 billion Korean won ($4 million) to make up for the cost of Covid-19 treatment, subsidy for self-isolation, and operating cost of treatment centers.

The city government estimates that the church’s outbreak in Seoul cost national agencies and companies like Seoul Metro and National Health Insurance Service about 8.48 billion Korean won ($7.3 million).

What happened: The Sarang-jeil Church attracted widespread backlash in August when it became the center of a coronavirus outbreak.?At least 1,168 Covid-19 cases in South Korea have been linked to the church, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CNN reached out to Jun’s lawyer and the church for comment and has not heard back.

Providence College in Rhode Island is moving to remote learning for at least a week after more than 80 students tested positive for Covid-19 in the past two days, according to College President Reverend Kenneth Sicard.

A stay-at-home order will also come into effect during that period, Sicard said. All students living on campus will be tested for Covid-19 and may not leave campus, while off-campus students may not leave their apartments, Sicard said.

Remote learning and the stay-at-home order are in effect at least through Saturday, September 26, he added.

The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a resolution condemning anti-Asian sentiment amid?the coronavirus pandemic.

The final vote was 243-164, with 14 Republicans joining their Democratic colleagues.

Though the resolution is nonbinding, House Democrats said they hoped it would show support for the Asian community and send a message that such bigotry would not be tolerated.

The resolution calls on “all public officials to condemn and denounce any and all anti-Asian sentiment in any form” and says that “use of anti-Asian terminology and rhetoric related to COVID-19, such as the ‘Chinese Virus’, ‘Wuhan Virus’, and ‘Kung-flu’ have perpetuated anti-Asian stigma.”

While the resolution doesn’t name any individuals, Democrats called out the White House during the House debate Thursday and alluded to President Donald Trump’s and their Republican colleagues’ use of the terms.

Trump, some GOP lawmakers and administration officials have continued using terms like “the Chinese virus” or “the Wuhan virus,” even after the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided the official terminology for the virus in February. WHO?has advised?not to use geographic locations in naming diseases because it creates a stigma.

Read the full story:

The U.S. Capitol is seen on February 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to deliver his State of the Union Address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress tonight. (Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images)

Related article House passes resolution condemning anti-Asian sentiment

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

At least 30,067,758 cases of Covid-19 have now been recorded globally, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases at 11:10 p.m. ET Thursday.?

The bleak milestone comes nine months after initial cases were first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in mid-December, before continuing to spread across the globe.??

The world recorded 1 million cases more than three months later, on April 2. The tally hit 10 million cases on June 28 and took just twelve weeks to triple the figure.?

The global death toll stands at 944,856.?

Grim distinction: The United States has recorded the most Covid-19 infections and deaths worldwide. There are at least 6,674,411 cases and 197,633 deaths from the disease in the country, according to the university’s count.

The US, India and Brazil together account for more than 50% of the world’s coronavirus cases, the university’s figures show.?

CNN is tracking worldwide coronavirus cases here:

There’s been a lot of news lately about a possible coronavirus vaccine, as researchers around the world continue their work.

If you’re just reading in now, here’s what we know about the?race for a potential vaccine:

An?ensemble?forecast?published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now projects there will be 207,000 to 218,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by Oct. 10.

Unlike some individual models, the?CDC’s?ensemble?forecast?only offers projections a few weeks into the future. The previous?ensemble?forecast, published Sept. 10, projected up to 217,000 coronavirus deaths by Oct. 3.

At least?197,615?people?have already died from Covid-19 in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

CNN is tracking US coronavirus cases and deaths:

The World Health Organization has warned that a “very serious situation” is unfolding in Europe, as “alarming rates of transmission” of the coronavirus surge across the continent.

Weekly cases are now exceeding those reported in March – when the pandemic first peaked, WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge said during a news conference on Thursday.

Here’s a look at some of the European countries reporting increases in coronavirus cases recently: